Tracts

TRACTS,

I.

TRACTS.

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED

BY THE UNITARIAN SOCIETY

FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE

AND THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE,

VOL. I.

CONTAINING,
THREE TRACTS, BY JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL.D. F.R.S,

^LONDON:

PRINTED, MDCCXCI.

THREE TRACTS.

BY JOSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL.D. F.R.S.

C

I, AN APPEAL TO THE SERIOUS AND CANDID
PROFESSORS OF CHRISTIANITY,

ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS, VJZ.

1. THE USE OF REASON IN MATTERS OF RELIGION7,

2. THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL OF GOD,

3. ORIGINAL SIN,

4. ELECTION AND REPROBATION,

5. THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST} AND,

6. ATONEMENT FOR SIN BY THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

A CONCISE HISTORY OF THOSE DOCTRINES,,

AND THE TRIUMTH OF TRUTH,

BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRIAL OF MR. E. ELWAL'L,
FOR HERESY AND BLASPHEMY.

II. A FAMILIAR ILLUSTRATION OF CERTAIN.

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE.

III. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE ARGUMENTS

FOR THE UNITY OF GOD.

L O N D O N:
PRINTED IN TH£ YEAR, M,DCC,XCT.

A N
APPEAL

T O T H E

SERIOUS AND CANDID PROFESSORS

OF CHRISTIANITY,
ON THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS, VIZ.

I. THE USE OF REASON IN MATTERS OF

RELIGION,

II. THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL

OF GOD,

III. ORIGINAL SIN,

IV. ELECTION AND REPROBATION,

V. THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST ; AND,

VI. ATONEMENT FOR SIN BY THE DEATH

OF CHRIST.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE RISE OF THOSE
DOCTRINES ;

AND THE TRIUMPPI OF TRUTH,
BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE TRIAL OF

MR. E. EL WALL,
FOR HERESY AND BLASPHEMY.

TO US THERE IS ONE GOD, THE FATHER; AND 0 N E
MEDIATOR, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS. I COR. VIII. 6.
— I TIM. II. 5.

AN APPEAL

TO THE

SERIOUS AND CANDID
PROFESSORS OF CHRISTIANITY,

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

PERMIT one who profelTes obedience to the
fame Lord, and faith in the precious promifes of the
fame gofpel with yourfelves, to addrefs himfelf to you
with all freedom and plainnefs of fpeech, on fubjecls
relating to our common falvation. I need not tell
you that the fubjects are interefting. In reality nothing
elfeisinterefting, in comparifon with them. For what
is this world compared with the future! Whatistime
compared with eternity! Believe me, my brethren, itis
nothing but the deepeft concern for the honour of a reli
gion which is the moft valuable inheritance of the human
race, and which fets us above all the follies and vices, alj
the weaknefTes and troubles of life, by giving us the
moft folid hope in death, that has induced me to
folicit your attention. But I am confident that you
will not think it ill-beftowed, becaufe it is upon a
fubjecl: that is near and dear to you, and the confi-
deration of which cannot but pleafe and profit you,
A If

2 To the Pro/effort

If, by the bleffing of God upon our common en
deavours to lead and to be led into all truth ^ I fhall be
fo happy as to bring you to entertain the fame views
of thefe things with myfelf, we fhall rejoice together ;
and if, after all that I may be able to advance, you
fhould ftill think differently from me, I truft you will,
at leaft, be difpofed to think with more candour of
fome of your fellow-chriftians, who love the gofpel,
and are zealous for its honour, though you may
think them miftaken in their conceptions concerning
It. Let me intreat you therefore, my brethren, to
give me a patient and candid hearing. Attend, in the
fpirit of meeknefs, to what I fliall fay from the
earneftnefs of my heart ; and exercife the reafon
which God has given you upon this occafion, which
is the nobleft on which it can be exercifed, and for
which you may, therefore, conclude, that it was
principally given you.

g

L OF THE USE OF REASON IN MATTERS OF
RELIGION.

BE not backward, or afraid, my brethren, to make
ufe of your reafon in matters of religion, or where
the fcriptures are concerned. They both of them
proceed from the fame -God and Father of us all, who
is the giver of every good and every perfect gift.
They cannot, therefore, be contrary to one another,
but muft mutually illuftrate and enforce one another.
Befides, how can we diflinguifh one fcheme of

• religion

ef Ctmftianity. 3

religion from another, fo as to give the preference to
that which is the mofr. deferring of it, but by the
help of our reafort and understanding? What would
you you reives fay to a mahomctin, whom you would
perfuadc" to abandon the impofture of Mahomet, and
embrace chriftiamty, but bid him life his reafon,
and judge, by the help of it, of the manifeft difference
between die two religion?, and the great ftrperiority
of yours to his? Does not God himfelf appeal to the
reafon of man, when he condefcends to afk us,
J-Vlether his ways be not equal? Ezek xviii. 29.
Does not the apoftle exhort us that, in under/landing
we be men? i Cor. xiv. 20. Are we not exprefsly
commanded to prove all things, and then bold f aft that
which is good ? i ThefT. v. 2 r . Al'fo when we are
commanded tofearch the fcriptures^ John v. 39. more
muft be meant than merely reading them, or receiving
implicitly^ the interpretations of others. Searching muft
imply an earned* endeavour to find ou! for ourfelves,
and to underftand the truths contained in the fcriptures;
and v/hat faculty can we employ for this purpofe, but
that which is commonly called reafon^ whereby we
are capable of thinking, reflecting, comparing, and
judging of things?

Diflrurr, therefore, all thofc who decry human
reafon, and who require you to abandon it, wherever
religion is concerned. When once they have gained
this point with you, they can lead you whither they
pleafe, and impofe upon you every abfurdity which
A 2 their

4 To the Profeflors

their fmifter views may make it expedient for them that
you fhould embrace. A popiih prieft would require
nothing more than this, to make you believe the
doctrine of tranfubftantiation, and that a man is
infallible -, or to perfuade you to commit the mod
flagrant wickednefs, as a means of eking Godferv:ce.
For the fir it of thefe articles they do not fail to urge
the v/ords of fcripture, which exprefsly fay, concern
ing the bread that is ufed in the Lord's fupper, that it
istbslcdy cf Chrifl -9 Matt. xxvi. 6. and there is no
poffibility of replying to them, but by appealing to
reafon, as the neceflaryand proper judge cf the fenfe
of fcripture. The papift, therefore, as might well be
•expected, is forward, on all occafions, to vilify human
reafon, and to require men to abandon it; but true
proteftants will not part with it. It- is by the help of
reafon, in conjunction with the fcriptures, that we
guard ourfelves againft the grofs delufions of the
papifts, who, after relinquifhing reafon, have been
made to believe a lie ; and by the diligent and continued
ufe of the fame pov/er, let us endeavour to combat
every remaining error, and trace out and reform every
corruption of chriftianity, till we hold the pure truth
as it is in Jefus^ and obey it in the love thereof.

Do not think that, by recommending the ufe of
reafon, I am about to decry the fcriptures. My ap
peal (hall be to both, upon every fubjedt on which
I addrefs you ; and I think you cannot but fee that the
pkineft and moft obvious fenfe of the fcriptures is in.
favour of thofe doctrines which are moft agreeable to

reaton.

of Chrlftianity* 5

reafon. A good man will rejoice to fee them thus go
hand in hand, mutually illuftrating and enforcing one
another.

II. OF THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL
OF GOD.

ONE of the fubjecT:s with refpecl: to which I
earneftly wiili that you would attend to the voice of
reafon and the fcriptures, and with refpecl: to which
one miftake will be followed by many others, and
miftakes of great ronfequence, is concerning the
power cf man to do the will of God. It is a favourite
opinion with many teachers of religion, that men
have naturally (or by that constitution and frame
which God their maker hath given them) no power
at all to do any thing that is good, not even to think
a good thought, much lefs actually to obey any of the
commands of God ; fo that, if men were left to them -
felves, they could da nothing but fin, and muft be
under a neceffity of aggravating their condemnation,
by every thought, word, and action of their lives.
But, my brethren, how does this doctrine agree with
the fcriptures, and particularly with the manner in
which the Divine Being conftantly expoftulates with
the fmful fonsof men; as when he fays to the jews,
Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways^ why will ye dle^
O houfe of Ifrael. Ezek. xxxiii, n. Wajh ye^make
you dean. Ceafe to do evil, learn to do. welly &c. &c, &V,.
Ifa, i. 16.

Is it not plain from this, that it depends upon men

themfelves, whether they will repent and turn to God

A3 or

6 To the Profeffors

or not? And how can it depend upon themfelver,
if they have not, naturally, afuificient power to do
it? You cannot think that God would command,
and expect obedience, when he had not given power
to obey j and much lefs that he would urge men to
provide for their own fafetyand happinefs, when hitn-
felf had put an effectual bar in the way of it.

Suppofe that any man's children were mut up in
a building that was on fire, while he himfelf was
without, and had the key ; and th?t5 inftead of opening
the door, to favour their efcape, he fhould only call
out to them to flee out of the place, in order to
avoid inftant deftruction ; and that, as the neceffary
confequence of this, they mould all perifh in the flames
before his eyes ; what would you think of fuch a
father? You would want words to exprefs your
abhorrence of his cruelty j and yet in this very light
do many chriftian divines reprefent the conduct of
that God whofe tender mercies are over all bis worhy
and who has folemnly declared, that he hath no plea/ure
in the death of a fmner but rather that he would turn
from his way and live. Ezek. xxxiii. II. yea, who would
have all men to be faved. I Tim. ii. 4.

The conduct of our merciful God and Father is
certainly far different from this, and more agreeable
to reafon and equity. If he defigned us to be account
able creatures, and treats us as fuch, we muft have
talents given us, which we may either improve, or
mifimprove. If we be the fubjects of his moral

government.

of Cbrtflianlty, 7

t^ we mufl be in a condition either to obferve
or to break his laws. A power to do the one necefFarily
fuppofes a power to do the other 5 and without this
power we fliould not be the proper fubjecls of religion ;
as, in that cafe, it would be in vain to propofeto us ei
ther rewards for obedier/ce or punifhments for ciif-
obedience.

Nor is the fuppofition of a power in man to do the
will of God any foundation for pride. For we
mull ftill fay with the apoftle, What have ^ve that
we have not received? and how then can w e glory, as
if we had not received it ? Every good and every perfeft
gift comes from God, and, knowing this, the more we
receive of his bounty, the more thankful and the
more humble we mould be. I {hall, certainly, be
more felicitous to exert myfelf in doing the will of
God, when I believe that I have a talent to improve,
than if I believe that I have no talent intruded with
me at all; fo that I cannot do even fo much as the
wicked and Jlotbful fervant^ who hid his talent in a
napkin.

Some of thofe perfons who believe that all mankind
areabfolutely incapable of doing good, are fornetimes
heard to invite fmners of all kinds to come to Chrifr,
as they are^ and to fay, that the viler they are, the more
welcome they will be to him ; as if he was, after this,
to cleanie them by fome miraculous power. But, my
brethren, the invitation of the gofpel runs in very
different terms. It is, Repent and bring forth fruits

meet

8 To the Profeffors

?neetfor repentance t Matt. iii. 8. Repent and be converted
that your fins may be blotted out. Acts iii. 19. And
none are invited to come to Chri/i^ but thofe who labour
and are heavy-laden -, nor can they find reft for their
Jbu!s,'till they have aSlually learned of him to be meek and
lowly in heart. Matt. xi. 28.

What can be more contrary to the maxims above
mentioned, than the whole tenor of that ferious ex-
poftulation with the children of Ifrael in the prophet
Ifaiah, part of which I quoted above? Wajh you, make
you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before
mine eyes. Ceaj'e to do evil, learn to do well. Seek judg
ment^ relieve the cpprejjcd^ judge thefatherlefs, plead for
the widow. Come now (and not before ) and let us
reafon together ', faith the Lord. ^Though your fins be as
fcarlet^ they faall be white as Jnow -, though they be red
like crimfoii) they fa all be as wool. I fa. i. 16, &c»

Others, who entertain the fame opinion of the
utter inability of man to do the will of Gud, act
more confidently with thofe fentiments, but far more
inconfiftently with the fcriptures, in never preaching
to iinners at all ; though to call fmners to repentance
was the chief end of Chrift's coming into the world*
Matt. ix. 13.

Whatever reprefents a ftate of acceptance with
God, as a thing that may be brought about without
any efforts of our own, and efpecially if it may be
done in a moment, or in a very fhort fpace of time,
•is fure to be a popular do&rine. Mankind in general

care

of Chriftianity. 9

care not how little is expected of them, or how little
they themfelves have to do, in order to get to heaven.
But true religion, that alone which affords folid ground
of. hope towards God, confifts in a change of heart,
affections, and habits; which can only be brought
about by ferious refolution, and a vigorous and
conftant exertion of our powers. Nay, unlefs a courfe
of virtue be begun, and good habits formed early in
life, there is very great danger that the thorns, briery
or bad foil) will prevent the good feed from ever
coming to maturity.

To believe, as the fame perfons do, that faith and
repentance are nothing that we ourfelves are capable
of, but altogether the miraculous operation of the
Spirit of God in us and upon us, fuppoies that this
great and fudden change may as well take place at the
lajl hour of life, as at any other : which certainly en
courages the moft unwarrantable and moft dangerous
prefumption, and is far from having any countenance
in the fcripturcs. The v/ord of God always reprefents
a fafe and happy death as the confequence of nothing
but a good and wdl-jpcnt life. Some, indeed, are
faid to have been called at the eleventh hour, but none
at the twelfth, when the time for labouring in the
vineyard was quite over; and not one of the foolifli
virgins, who had neglected to provide themfelves with
oil, was admitted to the marriage-fupper.

OF

10 To the Prof effort

III, OF ORIGINAL SIN.

Asa foundation for this ftrange do6trine, of the
utter inability of men to do what God requires of
them, a doctrine fo injurious both to our maker and
ourfelves, it is faid that by his firft offence our fir-ft
parent Adam, and all his posterity, loft all power
of doing any thing acceptable to. God for the future;,
that he was the reprefentative of all. his poflerity, fo
that when he finned, we all finned; and every fin
being an offence againft an infinite God, we all be
came, from that moment, liable to an infinite punifh-
ment, even the everkfting wrath and curfe of our
maker. And they fay, that, on this account only,
it would have been juft in God to have made us alj
fuffer the moft exquifite and endlefs torments in helJ^
even though we had never finned in cur own
perfons.

But, my brethren, you find nothing like any part
of this in your bibles. For there you read, the foul
that fmnctbj it Jhall die. Ezek. xviii. 4. And long
after the tranfgreffion of Adam, and to this very day>
God is continually calling upon men to ceafe to do
evil, and learn to do well; which certainly fuppofes that
men always have had, and that we now have, a power
to do fo. It is allowed that we fuffer by the fin of
Adam, as any child may fuffer in confequence of the
wickednefs of his anceftor ; but it is not poffible that
wefhould have Jinned in him. Wherever there isjtny
there is guilt \ that is, fomething that may be the

foundation

Of Cbrijtiamty. 11

foundation of remorfe of confcience ; fomething that
a man may be ferry fir^ and repent of; fomething that
he may vvifli he had not done ; all which clearly im
plies, that fin is fomething that a man has given his
confent to, and therefore mutt be convinced of the
reafonablenefs of his being punifhed for. But how
can any man repent of the fin of Adam, or feel any
thing like remorfe of confcience for it ; when he can
not but know that he never gave his confent to it,
and could not poffibly have been, in the leaft degree,
acceflary to it ? Good and bad conduct are, in their
own nature, perfonal, and cannot poiTibly be trans
ferred from one to another. Whatever fome divines
pretend, nothing of this kind can be Imputed in this
fenfe of the word. We may receive harm by means
of one perfon, and benefit by means of another; but
no fin of the former, or righteoufnefs of the latter,
can be confidered as ours, in the eye of an equitable
and juft God. The contrary is as much the language
and the plain meaning of the fcriptures throughout,
as it is agreeable to the common fenfe and reafon that
God has given us.

IV. OF ELECTION AND REPROBATION.

SUPPOSING that all mankind became liable to the
everlasting wrath and curfe of God for the fin of one
man, fome divines fay, that it was mercy in God to
fave any, though by an arbitrary decree^ which left
all the reft of the human race under an inevitable

necefFity

12 To the Profcffors

neceffity of perifhing. But certainly, my brethren,
fuch tender mercy is cruelty. All the creatures of God
muft look up to him as the author of their being,
fince it was, undoubtedly, in his power to give, or
to withhold it, at his pleafure ; and, furely, a good
and merciful God would have put a ftop to the pro
pagation of fuch a race of creatures, rather than fuf-
fer them to be born in fuch fhocldng circumflances ;
in which he infallibly forefaw, that the greateft part
of them mud be expofed to, and even actually fuffer
remedilefs deftruclion. As furely as I derive my
being from a juft and merciful God, I conclude that
the terms on which I came into the world are ad
vantageous to me j and therefore, that it muft be
my own fault only, if I have not reafon to rejoice in
it, and to be thankful for it. But, indeed, I can
hardly think that any man ferioufly believes, that the
greateft part of his fellow-creatures are born into the
world under a predetermined neceffity of being for
ever miferable. For, in that cafe, it muft appear
probable, that any children which he himfelf may be
the means of brirging into the world will be for ever
miferable ; and furely no man of real goodnefs or
companion would v/ifh to have children, or be ac-
cefTary to their being born in fuch circumftances,

IF this doclrine be true, what motive can any man
have to endeavour to flee from the wrath to come ;
Matt. iii. 7 when, if it is to be his lot at all, no
thing that he can do will enable him to efcape it ; or

what

of Chriftianity. 13

what motive can a man have to exert himfelf to lay
hold on eternal life ; I Tim. vi. 12. when, if he is to
enjoy it at all, he cannot poflibly mifs of it, or of any
thing belonging to it, or that is neceflary to prepare
him for it ? What reafon had the apoftle Paul to ex
hort chriftians to ta&? heed left they Jhould fall> I. Cor.
x. 12, when none that ever did ftand could poflibly
fall ? and what reafon had he to labour^ left after h#v-
ing preached to other s^ he himfelf Jhould be a caft-awafa
I. Cor. ix. 27. when being certain of his converfion,
he muft have known that that confequence was im-
poffible \

This doctrine, of abfolute election and reprobation,
is certainly a do6trine oilicentloufnefs^ and not a dottrlne
according to godlinefs ; and let divines employ all the
ingenuity they are matters of, it is impoiiible for them
to clear this opinion from being the caufe of fatal def-
pair in fome, and as fatal afecurity in others. If this
opinion were true, and men were really aware of their
fituatiorij I fhoi'ld think it impoffible to prevent their
falling into abfolute diftraction, through terror and
anxiety. It would be like a man having his ally his
iifey nay infinitely more than his life, depending upon
the caft of a die ; the decree of God being a thing
that he has as little power to command. Befides,
this doctrine certainly reprefents the God and Father
of us all in fuch a light, as no .man would chufe thaj
he himfelf (hould appear in.

B V. OF

f 4 To the ProfeJJors

V. OF THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

So fatal have the confequences of the fin of Adam
been reprefented, that you have been told that nothing
but the blood of God himfelf could reverfe them ; and
therefore you have been taught to believe, that Jefus
Chrift, whofe proper title is the fan ofman, as well ?s
the fon of GW, was not merely man, but very and
eternal God himfelf; without confidering that, by
thus making more God? than one, you are guilty of
a breach of the firft and moft important of all the
commandments, which fays exprefsly, Thoujhalt have
no other Gods before me. Exod. xx. 3. But whatever
fuch divines may fay, the apoftle Paul fays, in direct
contradiction to them, that to us there is but one GW,
the FATHER, of whom are all things \ and one Lordy
Jefuf Chrift) by whom are all things^ and we by him,
I Cor. viii. 6. And again, after faying that we have
ene Lord^ one faith •, one baptifm^ he adds, one God and
Father of ally who is above #//, and through all, and in
you all. Eph. iv. 5. 6. The creed of all chriftians,
therefore, ought to be, There is ONE GOD, and one
mediator between God and men9 the MAN Chrift Jefus.
I Tim. ii. 5.

The Father is frequently ftiled Gocl> even with ref-
pect to Chrift, as well as other beings. The God of
cur Lord Jefus Chrift ^ the Father ofglory^ give unto youy
that ye may know the exceeding greatmfs of his power^
which he wrought in Chrift^ when he raifed him from the
and fit him at his own right hand^ &c, Eph. i.

17, &c.

of Chriftianity. 15

17, &c. Chrifthimfelf ufes the fame language, 1
afcendunto my Father^ and your Father •, and unto my
God, and your God. John xx. 17. My God^ my GW,
why baft thouforfaken me ? Matt, xxvii. 26.

Chrift who was the image of the invifible GW, and
the firft '-born (or mojl excellent) of all his creatureSyCol*
i. 15. and in whom dwelt all the fulnefs of the godhead
bodily^ Col. ii. 9, acknowledged that his Father was
greater than he. John xiv. 28. and indeed, upon all
occafions, and in the cleared terms, he exprefled his
dependence upon God his father, for all his power and
glory ; as if he had purpofely intended to guard his
difciples againft forming too high an opinion of the
dignity of their mafter. Verily I jay unto you^ the Son
can do nothing of himfelf. John v. 19. / can of mine
ewnfelfdo nothing. As I hear I judge^ and my judg~
ment isjuft-> becaufe Ifeek not mine own will, but the will
tfthe Father who Jent me. Y- 3°- The words that I
Jpcak unto youy I f peak not of ?nyjelft and the FatheV who
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works, xiv. 10. I live by
the Father, vi. 57. 'The Father hath given to the fort
to have life in himfelf *y and both given him authority t9
execute judgment, v. 26, 27. All power is given untv
me, in heaven and in earth. Matt, xxviii. 18. He
even calls his Father the only true God. John xvii. 3.
that they might know thee^ the only true God, and Jefus
Chrift whom thou haft fent. It appears to me not to be
in the power of language to exclude the idea of the
B 2 divinity

J5 To ihe Profe/on

divinity of Chrift more exprefsly than by thefe foleinn
words.

Notwithftanding the divine communications with
which our Lord was favoured, fome things are ex~
prefsly faicJ to be withheld from him. For he him-
felf, fpeaking of his fecond coming, fays, Mark xiii.
32, But of that day and hour knoiveth no man, no net
the angeh which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father. In Matthew xxiv. 36. where the fame ob-
fervationis repeated, it is, but my Father only.

The apoftles, notwithftanding their attachment to
their Lord and matter, always preferve the idea of his
fubordination to the Father, and confider all his
honour and power as derived from him. He received
from God the Father, honour and glory, 2 Pet. i. 17.
// plevfed the Father, that in himfauld all fulnefs dwell.
Col. i> 19. "The revelation ofjefus Ghrjfty wIM God
gave unto him^ Rev, i. ? . Te are Cbrift's, and Chrift
is God's, i Cor. iii. 23. The head of Chrift is God.
I Cor. xi. 3.

The reafon why Chrift was fo much diftinguifhed
by God the Father, is frequently and fully exprefTed
in the fcriptures, viz, his obedience to the will of
God, and efpecially in his fubmitting to die for the
benefit of mankind. Therefore doth my Father love me,
becaufe I lay down my life. John x. 17. He humbkd
himfelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death
of the crofs. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name ', that at the

name

of Chri/ittmty. l^

name ofjefus every knee jhould bow^ of things In hea
ven and things in earth ; and that every tongue Jhould
confefs that Jefus Chrijl is Lord^ to the glory of God the
Father. Phil. ii. 8 — II. Who for the joy that was
Jet before him^ endured the crofs^ dejpifing the Jhame^ and
is now fitten down at the right hand of God. Heb. xii. 2.

Our Lord fays, that he and his Father are one^ John
x. 30, but he fufficiently explains himfelf, when he
prays that all his difciples may be one with him^ and
his Father^ even as they are one , John xvii. ii. and he
. gives them the fame glory which God had given to him^
ver. 22. Befides, at the very time that our Lord
fays, that he and his Father are one, and in the very
fenrence preceding it, ver. 29, he fays, that his Father
.is greater than all. But how could the Father be
greater than all, if there was any other, who was fo
much one with him, as to be, in all refpects, equal to
him?

The mere term God is, indeed, fometimes ufed in
a lower and inferior fenfe in the fcriptures, denoting
dominion only ; as when the Divine Being himfelf fays,
that he will make Mofes a god to Pharaoh^ Exod. vii. I.
but, furely, there can be no danger of our miftaking
the fenfe of fuch phrafes as thefe ; or if it were pofli-
ble, our Lord himfelf has fufficiently guarded againft
any mifconftru&ion of them when applied to himfelf,
by the explanation he has given of them ; informing
us, that, if, in the language of fcripture, they are
tailed gods to whom the word of God came, John x. 35.
B 3 (though,

1 8 To the Prsje/on

(though, in facl, they were no other than mere men)
he could not be guilty of blafphemy in calling himfelf
only the fen of God. Now if Chrift had been confcious
to himfelf that he was the true and very Goa\ and that
it was of the utmoft confequence to mankind that
they fhould regard him in that light, this was cer
tainly a proper time for him to have declared himfelf,
and not to have put his hearers ofFwith fuch an apo
logy as this.

But even this power and dominion, to which Chrift
is advanced by God his Father, who gave all power
into his handsy and who made him head over all things
to his church^ Eph. i. 22. this mediatorial kingdom of
Chrift (as it is fometimes, and with fufEcient pro
priety, termed) is not to be perpetual. For the apof-
tle Paul, fpeaking, no doubt, under immediate in-
fpiration, exprefsly fays, that when the end Jhall comey
that God J})all have fubdued all things to his Son (in which
he obferves, that he miifl be excepted who didfubdue all
things unto him) he miift deliver up the kingdom to Gody
tven the FATHER, and be himfelf fubje6l to him who had
put all things under himy that God may be all in all. I Cor.
xv. 24, &c. Nay, he himfelf fays exprefsly, that he
had not the difpofal of the higheft offices of his king
dom, Matt. xx. 23. To fit on my right hand and en my
left is not mine to give ; lut it foall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my Father.

So clear, my brethren, fo full, and fo exprefs, is
the uniform teflimony of the fcriptures to the great

dodtrine

of Chriftianity. 1$

doctrine of the proper unity ofGod^ and of the fubor-
dination of Chrift, and all other beings to him, that
the prevalence of fo impious a do£trine, as the con
trary mud be, can be afcribed to nothing but to that
myflery of Iniquity ', which, though it began to work in
the times of the apoftles themfelves, was not then
rifen to fo enormous a height as to attack the fupre-
macy of the one living and true God, and give his pecu
liar glory to another. This, my brethren, among
other fhocking corruptions of genuine chriftianity,
grew up with the fyftem of popery ; and to fhewthat
nothing is impoflible to the fuperftition and credulity
of men, when they are become vain in their imaginations^
after exalting a man into a god, a creature into a
creator, they made a piece of bread into one alfo,
and then bowed down to, artd worfhipped, the work
of their own hands.

But though it feemed fit to the unfearchable wifdom
of God, that all the errors and abufes of popery
fhould not be reformed at once ; and though this
great error was left untouched by the firft reformers,
blefTed be God the bible is as open to us as it was to
them ; and by the exertion of the fame judgment and
fpirit, we may free chriftianity from the corruptions
which they left adhering to it j and then, among
other excellencies of our religion, our Lord will be
ene and his name one. Zech. xiv. 9.

If you a(k who, then, is Jefus Chrift, if he be not
God ; I anfwer, in the words of Peter, addrefled to

the

fiO To the Proffffors

the Jews, after his refurre&ion and afcenfion, that
Jefus of Nazareth ^uas a man approved of God by mira
cles and wonders and figns, which God did by him. Acts
ii. 22. If you afk what is meant by man, in this
place ; I anfwer, that man, if the word be ufed with
any kind of propriety, muft mean the fame kind of
being with yourfdves. I fay, moreover, with the
author of the epiftle to the Hebrews, that it became
him by whom are all things, and for whom are all things^
to make this great captain of onrfahation in all refpefts,
like unto us his brethren, that he might be made perfect
through fufferings, Heb. ii. 10. 17. and that he might
have a feeling of all our infirmities, iv. 13. For this
reafon it was that our Saviour and deliverer was not
made of the nature of an angel, or like any fuper-an-
gelic being, but was of the feed of Abraham, ii. 16.
that is (exclufive of the divinity of the Father, which
refided in him, and a&ed by him) a mere man, as
other jews, and as we ourfelves alfo are.

Chrift being made by the immediate hand of God,
and not born in the ufual courfe of generation, is no
reafon for his not being confidered as a man. For
then Adam muft not have been a man. But in the
ideas of Paul, both the firfl and fecond Adam (as
Chrift, on this account, is fometimes called) were
equally men : By man came death, by man came a/Jo the
refurreftion of the dead, I Cor. xv. 21. And, cer
tainly, in the refurre&ion of a man, that is, of aper-
fon in all refpeds like ourfelves, we have a more

lively

sf Chrijfanity. 21

of our own refurre£tion; that of Chrift
being both a proof and a pattern of ours. We can,
therefore, more firmly believe, that becaufe be lives^
we who are the fame that he was, and who fhall un
dergo the fame change by death that he did, /hall live
(iljo. John xiv. 19..

'Till this great corruption of chriflianity be re
moved, it will be in vain to preach the gofpel to
jew?, cr mahornetans, or, indeed, to any people who
retain the ufe of the rcafon and underfhnding that
God has given them. For how is it poflible that
three perfons, Father^ fir^ and holy ghoft, mould be
fenarately, each of them, poliefTed of all divine per
fections, fo as to be tnte^ very, and eternal God, and
yet that there mould be but one God\ a truth which
is fo clearly and fully repealed, that it is not poflible
for men to refufe their aHent to it ; or elfe it would,
no doubt, have been long ago expunged from our
creed, as utterly irreconcileable with the more fa
vourite doclrine of a trinity, a term which is not to
be found in the fcriptures. Things above our reafo-n
may, for any thing that we know to the contrary, be
true ; but things exprefsly contrary to our reafon, as
that three mould be one^ and one threey can never ap
pear to us to be fo.

With the jews, the do&rine of the divine unity is,
and indeed juftly, confidered as the moft fundamental
principle of all religion, Hear^ O Ifrael^ the Lord
our God is we Lonh Deut. vi. 4. Mark xii. 29. To

preach

22 To the Profeffors

preach the do&rine of the trinity to the jews, can
appear to them in no other light, than an attempt to
feduce them into idolatry^ a thing which they dare
not entertain the moft diftant thought of.

The great creed of the mahometans is, that there
is one God, and Mahomet is bis prophet. Now that
Mahomet is not the prophet of God, it is to be
hoped, they may, in time, be made to believe ; but
we muft not expe& that they will fo eafily give up
their faith in the unity of God. To make the gofpeJ,
what it was originally, glad tidings of great joy ; and
as at laft it certainly will be to all the nations of the
world, we muft free it from this moft abfurd and
impious doctrine, and alfo from many other corrup
tions which have been introduced into it. It can no
otherwife appear worthy of God, and favourable to
the virtue and happinefs of mankind.

Left fome common objections fhould hinder the
reception of the great truth here contended for, I
{hall briefly confider and reply to the principal of
them. It is often faid that Chrift fpeaks of his hu
manity only, whenever he reprefents himfelf as infe
rior to the Father, and dependent upon him. But
the fcriptures themfelves are far from furniftiing the
leaft hint of any fuch method of interpretation,
though, according to the trinitarians, it is abfolutely
neceflary to the true underftanding of them.

Befides, when it is applied to the paflages in quef-
tion, it is far from making them either true in them
felves,

ef Chrlftianity. 2$

felves, or agreeable to the obvious purport aad denVn
of the places in which they are introduced. I fhall
juft mention a few. Could our Lord fay with truth,
arid without an unworthy prevarication, that the
Father is the only true GW, John xvii. 3, if any other
perfon, not implied in the term Father^ was as much
the true God as himfelf ? Now the term Father
being appropriated to what is called the_/zr/? perfon in,
the godhead, cannot comprehend the fen, who is
called the fecond. This key, therefore, is of no
fervice in this cafe, and our Lord, by expreffing him
felf as he has done, could not but lead his hearers
into what is called a dangerous miftake.

When our Lord faid that his Father was greater
than he, did he make any referve, and fecretly mean,
not his whole felf> but only part^ and the inferior part
of himfelf, the other part being equal in power and
glory with the Father ? How mean the prevarica
tion, and how unworthy of our Lord !

When our Lord faid that the time of the day of
judgment was not known to himfelf, the fon^ but to the
Father only^ could he mean that his humanity only did
not know it, but that his divinity (which is fuppofed
to be intimately united with his humanity) was as
well acquainted with it as the Father himfelf ? If
the human nature of Chrift had been incapable of
having that knowledge communicated to it, the de
claration would have been needlefs : but as that was
not the cafe3 his hearers muft neceflarily underftand-

him

*4 T° the Profejjors. .

him as fpeaking of himfelf in his higheft capacity ;
as he certainly muft do, if at all, when he fpeaks of
himfelf as thefon^ correfponding to the Father.

If Chrift had not fatisfied the jews that he did not
mean to make himfelf equal with God, would they
not have produced it againft him at his trial, when he
was condemned as a blafphemer, becaufe he confefled
that he was the Chrift only : and yet no jew expected
any thing more than a man for their Meffiah, and
our faviour no where intimates that they were mif-
taken in that expectation. It is plain that Martha
confidered our Lord as a different perfon from God,
and dependent upon God, when me faid to him,
John xi. 22. I know that even now^ whatfoever thou
wili aft of God) God will give it thec.

VI. OF ATONEMENT FOR SIN BY THE DEATH
OF CHRIST.

You have been taught by divines, that if Chrift
be not God, he could not have made an infinite fath-
fattion for the fins of mankind. But, my brethren,
where do you learn that the pardon of fin, in a finite
creature, requires an infinite fatisfaclion ; or, indeed,
any fatisfaclion at all, befides repentance and refor
mation, on the part of a finner ? We read in the
fcriptures that we are juftified freely by the grace of
God> Rom. iii. 34. but what free grace, or mercy,
does there appear to have been in God, if Chrift gave
a full price for our j unification, and bor-2 the infinite

weight

of Cljrlftianityt 2$

Weight of divine wrath on our account. We are
commanded to forgive others^ as we ourf elves hope to be
orgiven*) Matt. vii. 14. and to be merciful^ as our
Father^ who is in heaven^ is merciful. But furely we
arc not thereby authorifed to infift upon any atone
ment, or fatisfa&ion, before we give up our relent-
nient towards an offending and penitent brother.
Indeed, how could it deferve the name of forgivenefs
if we did ? If he only repent^ we are commanded to
forgive him. Luke xvii. 4.

You read in the fcriptures that Chrift died a facri-
fice for cur fins. Heb. ix. 26. So he did, and a fa-
criiice it was of a fweet fmeUing favour to God. To
die, as Chrift did, iivthe glorious caufe of truth and
virtue ; to die, as he did, in order to fhow us an ex
ample of patiently fuffering death for our religion,
and the good of mankind, and in a firm hope of a
refurrec~Hon to a future and eternal life ; to die, as he
did, in expVefs atteflation of his own divine miffion,
by his manifeit refurre&ion from the dead, and as the
fulleft proof of that doctrine, by means of which
tinners are continually reconciled unto God, was a
noble facrifice indeed. We alfo are commanded to
prefent ottr bodies a living facrifice. Rom. xii. I. And
v;e are required to offer the facrlfice of praife to God
ccziimtalfy. Heb. xiii. 15. But it is plain that all
thcfe are only figurative expreflions, and ufed by way
of companion. Neither our bodies^ nor our prayer sy can
be confidered as real facrifices j nor, are we, there-
C fore,

26 To tie ProfeJJort

fore, obliged to fuppofe that Chrift was a real facri-
fice. And though we, like him, fhould be called
a&ually to lay down our lives far our brethren^ I John
iii. 16. which, in imitation of him, we are enjoined
to be ready to do, we fhould be facrilices only in the
figurative fenfe of the word.

It is true, that no man who is a firmer (and all men
have finned) can be juftified by his works. We all
(land in need of, and muft have recourfe to, free
grace and mercy ; but it is a great difhonour to God
to fuppofe that this mercy and grace takes its rife from
any thing but his own efTential goodnefs ; and that
he is not of bimfelf^ and independent of all foreign
considerations whatever, what he folemnly declared
himfelf to Mofes, at the time of the giving of the
law, to be, namely, a God merciful and gracious, long-
fuffering, abundant in goodnefs and in truth. Exod.
xxxiv. 6. or that he requires any other facrifices,
than thefacrifices of a broken fpirit, and a contrite hearty
which he will never defpife. Pf. li. l~.

Can we wim for a more diilin£t and perfect re-
prefentation of the manner in which God forgives the
fins of his offspring of mankind, than our faviour has
exhibited to us in that moft excellent parable of the
prodigal fan ; in which the good father no fooner fees
his child, who had abandoned him, and wafted his
fubftance in riotous living, returning to him and to
his duty ; but without waiting for any atonement or
propitiation, even while be was yet a great way offi be

ran

Of Chrlftianity. 2J

ran to him, fell upon his neck, and kijfed him, Luke XV.
20. The fame reprefentation we fee in the parable
of the creditor, who freely forgave his fervant, be-
caufc he humbly defired him. Let us not then, my
brethren, deprive the ever-blefTed God of the mod
glorious and honourable of all his attributes, and
leave him nothing but juftice^ or rather vengeance^
which is exprefsly faid to be his ft range work, Ifaiah
xxviii. 21.

It is impoilible to reconcile the doctrine of the
fatisfadlion for fin by the death of Chriir, with the
doctrine of free grace, which, according to the uni
form tenor of the fcrip cures, is fo fully diiplayed in
the pardon of fin, and the j unification of finners.
When, therefore, the apodle Paul fays, Rom. iii.
24. T.hat we are juftified freely by the grace of God,
through the redemption that is in Chrifl Jefus, the lat
ter claufe muft be interpreted in fuch a manner
as to make it confident with the former 5 and it is
far from requiring any force or draining of the text
to do it. For it is only neceffary to fuppofe that
our redemption (or, as the word properly fignifies, and
and is indeed frequently rendered by our tranflators,
our deliverance) from the power of fin, i. e. our re
pentance and reformation, without which there is no
promife of pardon, is effected by the gofpel of Jefus
Chrift, who came to call finners to repentance > but
flill God is to be confidered as the giver^ and not the
r^ with,refpe6l to our redemption 3 for we read
^ ?•

28 To the Profejfon

that he fparedrwt Ms ownfony but gave him up for us all*.
Rom. viii. 32.

To fay that God the Father provided an atonement
for his own offended juftice is, in fact, to give up the
doctrine. If a perfon owe me a Him of money, and
I chufe to have the debt difcharged, is it not the fame
thing, whether I remit the debt at once, or fupply
another perfon with money wherewith to pay me in
«ic debtor's name ? If fatisfaction be made to any
purpofe, it muft be in feme manner, in which the
offender may be a fufferer, and the offended perfon
a gainer ; but it can never be reconciled to equity, or
anfwer any good purpofe whatever, to make the in
nocent fufFer the puniihment cf the guilty. If, as
Abraham fays, it be fir frqin Godtojlay the righeeous
'lUiin we iviczea, and that the righteous fljouJd lie as trie
wicked, Gen. xviii. 25. much farther muft it be

rrcm mm romiyme ngnreou* iryrsaa or -me v/icKecr.

I wifh the zealous advocates for this doctrine would
confider, that if it be necetlary, in the nature of things,
that the juftice of God be fatisfod before any fin can
be pardoned, and Chrift be God as well as the Fa-
tfier, whether the juftice of Chrift ought not to have-
been fatisfied in the firft place. If fo, what other in
finite being has made fatisfaction to him ? But if
the divine nature of the fon required no fatis fact ion,
why (hould.the divine nature of the Father require-
any ?

If

Of Chri/lianity. 29

If it had been inconfiflent with the divine juftice
to pardon fin upon repentance only, without fome
farther fatisfa&ion, we might have expected to have
found it fxprefsly faid to be fe in the fcriptures ;
but no fiich declaration can be produced either from
the Old or the New Teftament. All that can be pre
tended is, that it may be inferred from it. Though
good works are recommended to us in the ftrongefl
manner, it is never with any falvo or caution, as if
they were not cf tbemfehcs acceptable to God. The
declarations of the divine mercy to the penitent are
all abfolute, without the moft diftant hint of their
having a reference to any conftderatlon on which they
are made. Ihou, Lordy art good^ and ready to forgive
Pfalm Ixxxiv. 5. To the Lord our God belong mercies
and forgiveness^ though we have rebelled again/1 /;//;/,
Dan. ix. 3. When David and other penitents con-
fefs their fins, and entreat for pardon, they refer
themfelves to the divine mercy only, without feeming
to have the leaft idea of any thing farther. Remember
not the fins of my youth, nor my tranfgreffwm j according
to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodnefs-fake^ O
Lord. Pfalm xxv. 6.

It is particularly remarkable, that when facrifices
under the law are exprefsly faid not to be fufficient for
the pardon of fin, we are never referred to any more
availing facrtftce ; but to good works only. Thou
defireft not facrijice^ elfe would I give it ; thou delightefl
not in bur tit-oaring, The facrifices of the Lord are a
C 3 broken

30 To the Prsfcffors

broken fpirit. A broken and a contrite bearf^ 0
tbou wilt not defpife. Pfalm li. 16, 17. If any of the
jews had had the leaft notion of the necefflty of any
atonement for the fins of mankind, they could not
fyut have expe&ed a ftfferitog Mcjjlah ; and yet it is
plain that the very bed of them had no fuch idea,
And though our faviour frequently explains the rea-
fon of his coming, and the neceffity of his fuftering,
it is never on any fuch account. If he had done it
any where, it might have been expected in thcfe dif-
courfes by which he endeavoured to reconcile his
difciples to his death, in his folemn prayer before his
fufferings, at the time of his agony in the garden, or
when he was upon the crofs ; yet nothing of this
kind drops from him on any of thefe occafions.

When our Lord defcribes the proceedings of the
day of judgment, he doth not reprefent the righteous
as referring themfelves to the fufferings or merit of
their judge for their juftification ; and the judge him-
felf exprefsly grounds it on their good works only.
Though Peter, in his difcourfe to the jews on the day
of Pentecoft, fpeaks of their fin in murdering Chrift
as of a heinous nature, he fays not a word of the
neceffity of any atonement, or that an ample fatis-
faclion had juft been made, by means of their very
wickednefs. How would a modern divine have
harangued upon the occafion, and what advantage
might he have taken of the cry of the jev/s j bis
blood le ufon usy and upon our children ? But Peter

only

Of Chrijllaniiy* -31

only exhorts to repentance, and (peaks of the death
of Chrifl as an event that took place according to the
fore-knowledge of God.

All the difcourfes of Paul upon various occafions
in the book of A&s are entirely moral. In his cele
brated fpeech at Athens, he only urges his hearers to
repentance, from the confideration of a future judg
ment. He fays not a word of what is now called the
true gofpel of Jefus Chrift. In fhort, it is only from
the literal interpretation of a few figurative expref-
fions in the fcriptures that this doctrine of atonement^
as well as that of tranfubftantiation, has been derived ;
and it is certainly a doctrine highly injurious to God :
and if we, who are commanded to imitate God,
fhould act upon the maxims of it, it would be fubver-
fiveofthe mod amiable part of virtue in men. We
fhould be implacable and unmerciful, infilling upon
the uttermoft farthing,

Thefe, my brethren, are the principal heads on
which I prcpofed to expoftulate with you, in the plain
and free manner in which I have done. Do you
yourfelves, fearch the fcriptures and fee whether thefe
things befo. Pray to the God of truth to lead you into
all truth, and ?nay he give you underjlanding in all
things.

VII. PR AC-

j2 To the Profeffin

VII. PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE ABOVE

DOCTRINES.

THE found knowledge of chriftianity is not of
importance as a matter of fpeculation merely ; though
abitracT: truths, efpecially truths that relate to God,
and the maxims of his moral government, are not
without their utility and obligation : but the truths
that I here contend for nearly affedfc the fentinnents
of our hearts, and our conduct in life ; as, indeed,
has been (hewn in many refpecls already. Confider-
ing God as pofleflcd of the character in which fome
divines reprefent him, it is impoflible, while human
nature is what it is, that he fliould appear in an amia
ble or refpe&able light. Such a God may, indeed,
be the object of dread and terror to his creatures ; but
by no means of their love or reverence. And what is
obedience without love? It cannot be that of the
heart) which, however, is the only thing that is of
any real value in religion. Alfo, how can a man
love his fellow-creatures in general, when he confi-
ders the greateft part of them as the objects of the
divine abhorrence, and doomed by him to an ever-
lafting destruction, in which he believes that he him-
felf muft for ever rejoice ? And what can remain of
virtue, when thefe two great fources of it, the love of
God and of mankind^ are thus grofsly corrupted ?
JLaftly, how muft the genuine fpirit of mercy andy^"-
givenefs, which fo eminently diftinguifhes the gofpel

of

ef Chrijtianity* 33

of Chriir, be debafed, when God himfelf (whofe con-
duel: in this very refpeft is particularly propofed to our
imitation) is confidered as never forgiving fin without
feme previous atonement, fatisfa&ion, or intercef-
fion ?

On the other hand, loving God, as the com-
paflionate Father cf all his offspring, as willing that
all men Jhould be faved^ and cams to tie knowledge of bis
truth ; and alfo loving all mankind as our brethren, .
as, together with ourfelves, the children of the fame
gracious Father, we cannot want the moft generous
and powerful motives to do the will of GW, and to pro
voke one another to love and to good ivorks, being in no
fear of counteracting the fecret defigns of the Al
mighty, which we believe are aimed, not at the de-
ftruc"tion, but the happinefs of all his creatures.

Think not, however, that I am fo uncharitable as
to fiipMoie that all thofe who profefs to maintain the
doctrines I have been arguing againrt, are univerfaiiy
deftitute of the genuine love of God, or of their fel
low-creatures. I arn fenfible, and truly thankful,
that it is not always the confequence; but it is be-
caufe the hearts of fuch perfons are really influenced
by better principles than thofe which they avow.
They by no means habitually regard the Divine Being
in the light in which their principles reprefent him,
but as the true Father of all the creatures that he has
made, and, as fuch, fmcerely defirous to promote
their bell iaterefts*

Alfo,

34 7* the Prcf effort

Alfo, notwithflanding, if they be afked, they wift
not hefitate to fay, that Chrift is God, the fupremacy
of the Father, even with refpefl to the Son, is, at
the fame time, the real fentinient of their minds ; and
when they lift up their hearts to God, it is only God
the Father that is the proper objedl of their adoration.
The conftant tenor of the fcriptiircs is fo contrary to
th?ir profeffed creed, that though they dare not call it
in queftiori, it is not able to counteract the plainer,
the more confiftent, and the better principles which
will force themfelves upon their minds from converf-
ing with the bible.

Befides, it requires more fubtlety and refinement
to enter into the principles above-mentioned, than
the common people are mafters of. They cannot
conceive how one man fhould fin, and another per-
fon, fix thoufand ye?rs after, be guilty of that fin,
and punifhabie for it ; how one perfon's righteouf-
nefs fhould be confidered as the righteoufnefs of ano
ther ; or that three diflincT: perfons fhould each of
them be God, and yet that there ihall he no more
Gods than one.

Men of plain underftandings, in facT:, never do be
lieve any fuch thing ; nor can it be fuppofed that the
gofpel, which was intended to be the folid foundation
of the faith, hope, and joy of common people, mould
require fo much acutenefs, as is neceflary to give even
a plaufible colour to thefe ftrange aflertions. The
attempt to explain them (and, 'till they be explained,

they

ofChrtftidmty. 35

tfeey can no more be believed than a proportion in an
unknown tongue) can lead to nothing but endlefs and
unprofitable controversy. It is happy, therefore, that
fo many-perfons make a better ufe of the gofpel than
their tenets would lead them to do, and that they con-
fider it chiefly as a rule of life, and the foundation of
hspe after death. But, as far as the principles I have
been arguing againft are believed, they cannot but do
harm to thofe who entertain them, as well as bring
difgrace upon the chriftian name ; both which every
lover of the gofpel fhould endeavour to prevent.

A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE ABOVE-
MENTIONED DOCTRINES.

I. A CONCISE HISTORY OF OPINIONS CONCERNING
JESUS CHRIST.

You will fay, if Chrift be not really God, but
merely a man, though infpired and aflifted by God,
how came the chriftian world to fall into fo great an
error ? In return, I might afk, how, if Chrift be truly
God, equal to the Father, fo many chriftians, and
efpecially the jewifh chriftians, and many others in
the very early ages of the chriftian church, came to
think him to be merely a man ; when it may be eafily
conceived that, on many accounts, chriftians, who
were continually reproached with the meanncfs of
their mnfter, would be difpofed to add to, rather than
to tak* from his dignity ? But it is not difficult to

{hew

3& To ike ProfeJT&n

fliew by what mcans^ and by what Jlefa chriftialiS
came to think as the generality of them now do.

It was the univerfal opinion of philofophers, at the
time of the promulgation of chriftianity, that the fouls
of all men had exifted before they were fent to ani
mate the bodies that were provided for them here,
and alfo that all fouls were emanations, or parts de
tached from the deity. For at that time there was no
idea of any fubrtance being properly immaterial, and
indivifible. When thefe philofophers became chrif-
tians, and yet were afllamed of being the difciples of
a man who had been crucified, they naturally gave a
diftinguifhed rank to the foul of Chi ill before he came
into the world. They even went one ftep farther,
and maintained that Chrift had a body in appearance
only, and not in reality, and therefore that he (uttered
nothing at all when he was fcourged and crucified.

This opinion the apoftle John reprobates with
great feverity, and even calls it Anticbrijlian, I John
iv. 3. whereas though it is acknowledged that the
other opinion, viz. that of Chrift being 7>?tW)' a man^
exifted in the times of the apoftles, it is remarkable
that this apoftle takes no notice of it. It was plainly
the do£irine of thofe only who maintained that Chrift
was not truly a man that gave this apoftle any diftur-
bance, or he would never have faid as he does, i John
iv. 2. Every fpirit that confefjcih that Jtfns Chrift is
come in the flefo (that i?, was truly a man) is ofGvd.

After

of Cbnftianlty. 37

After this, philofophizing chriftians began to add
to the pre-exiftent dignity of Chrift in another way,
and at length, carried it much higher than thofe upon
whom this apoftle animadverted with fo much feve-
rity. They faid that Chrift was originally in God,
being his reafon^ or logos which came out ofhlm^ and
was perfonified before the creation of the world, in
which he was the immediate agent, and that this new
perfonage was henceforth the medium of all the divine
communications to mankind, having been the per-
fon who fpake to Adam in paradife, to Noah, to
Abraham, . and all the patriarchs, who delivered the
law from mount Sinai, and laftly inhabited the body
of Jefus of Nazareth.

On this principle they explained many pafTages in
the Old Teftament, in which the word of God is fpo*
ken of, as that of the pfalmift, By the word of the
Lord were the heavens madey &c. making this word to
be a perfen^ diftin& from God, whofe word it was ;
whereas nothing can be more plain, than that by the
word of God in this place is meant the power of God9
exerted with as much eafe as men utter words.

Thefe philofophizing chrlftians took great pains
to explain how the reafm or wifdom of God could
thus become a perfon, diftincT: from God, and yet
God continue a reafonable being ; but their account
of it is too trifling to be recited in this place. How
ever, it was far from being pretended, in" general,
that the doctrine of the divinity of Chrift was fuch
D a myflery

38 To the Profe/ors

a myftery as could not be explained. For by nyftery
they only meant fomething of a folemn nature, which
was unknown 'till it was revealed or explained. And
indeed thi<= is plainly the u'fe of the word myflery in the
New Teftament; and it was alfo the ufual meaning
of the word when the prefent tranflation of the bible
was made ; the -my fortes of any particular trade being
the fee-rets of that trade, which yet every mafter taugh*
his apprentices.

'In this ftate the doctrine continued 'till after the
council of Nice in the year of our Lord 325 ; but
in all this time a real fuperiority was always acknow
ledged in the Father, as the only fource of divinity;
and it was even explicitly acknowledged that there was
a time when the fon of God had no (eparate exiftence>
being only the reafon of God^ juft as the reafon
of man is a part, or a property of man. One of
the moft eminent of the chriftian fathers fays,
" There was a time when God was neither a father,
" nor a judge; for he could not be a father before
u he had a fon, nor a judge before there was fin. ?>

So far were they from fuppofmg the fon of God
to be equal to the Father, that when they were charged,
as they frequently were, with making two Gods*
they generally replied, that the fon was only God of
God) as having proceeded from a fuperior God, which
is the language of the Nicene creed ; whereas the
Father was God of himfelf (aMs®*) by which they

meant

cf Ghriftanity.- 39

meant nndcrived^ which they held to be the preroga
tive of the Father only.

In all this time the jewifli chriftians, who were
not tainted with the heathen philofophy, maintained
the doctrine of the proper and fimple humanity of
Chrill. Athanafius himfejf was fo far from being
able to deny this, that he fays all the jews were fo
fully pcrfuaded that their Mefllah was to be a man
like themfelves, that the apofiles were obliged to ufe
great caution in divulging the doctrine of the divinity
of Chrift. He fay?, that the reafon why ?eter>
Acts ii. 22. only calls him a man appro-u-jd cf Goa^
and why, on other occafions in the courfe cf that book
and other parts of the New Teftament, he is fimply
called a man^ was, that at nrft the apoilles did not
think proper to do more than prove that Jefus was
the Chrift) or Meffiah, and that they thought it prudent
to divulge the doctrine of the divinity of Chrill by
degrees. He likewifc fays, that the jews of thofe
times, meaning the jewifh chriftians, being in this
eiror themfelves drew the gentiles into it. Athanafius
greatly commends the apoftles for this addrefs in
their circumftances. But what the apoftles fcrupled
to teach, we fhould be fcrupulous in believing.
Chryfoftom gives the fame account of the fituation
of the apoftles with refpect to the jews.

It alfo clearly appears from ecclefiaftical hiftorp

that the unlearned among the chriftians were exceed-

'ngly averfe to the doctrine of the divinity of Chrift,

D 2 even

40 To the Prcfc/on

even in the qualified fcnfe above mentioned, oppofmg,
what they called, the fupreme monarchy of the Father,
to the novel doctrine of the divinity of the fon j
ami the philofophizing chriftians were obliged to
make laboured apologies to thefe early Unitarians^
acknowledging the perfect inferiority of the fon to
the Father. But at length thefe Unitarians, who
are exprefsly faid to have been the majority of
chriftians in the third century, were overborne by
the fuperior influence and popularity of their adver-
faries, who, from believing Chrift to be God in
an inferior qualified fenfe of the word, came, in the
natural courfe of things, to believe him to be God
equal to the Father himfelf, and to have exifted from
all eternity independently of him. But it was feveral
centuries before this doctrine was fully eftablifhed^
And the holy fpirit was generally confidered either as
*he fame thing with the power of God^ that is, God
himfelf ( juft as the ff-irit cf a man is a man ) or elfe
a fupsrangelic being, inferior both to the Father and
the fon, 't'll after the council of Nice.

In the mean time, Arius and his followers, fhocked
at the do&rin: of Chrift being of the fame fubftance
with the Father, maintained that, though he had pre-
exifled, and had been the medium of all the difpen-
fations of God to mankind, he was, like all other
derived beings, created out of nothing j the opinion of
all fouls having been emanations from the fupreme

mind being then generally denied by chriflians.

Thus

of Chriftianity* 4 1

Thus did it pleafe God, for reafons unknown to
us, to permit the rife and general fpreadof thetrini-
tarian and Arian opinions, as he permitted the rife
and amazing power of the man of fin, and many
corruptions and abufes of chriftianity uttcr-y fub-
verfive of the genuine purity of the gofpel, 'till the
full time for the reformation of this and other grofs
corruptions of chriftianity was come.

II. A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINES
OF GRACE, ORIGINAL SIN, AND PREDESTI
NATION.

IT was a controverfy about the nature and ufe of

baptifm that occafioned th? ftarting of the doctrine

of the natural impotence of man to do what God requires

of him^ of the imputation of the (In of Adam, to all

his pofterity, and of the arbitrary predeftinaiion of

certain individuals of the human race to everlafting

life, while the reft of mankind were left in a ftate

of reprobation; and this was fo late as four hundred

years after Chrift. Before that time it had been the

univerfal opinion of chriftians, and of Auftin him-

felf, who iirfl advanced the doctrines above-mentioned,

that every man has the power of obeying or difobey-

ing the laws of God, that all men may be faved if

they will, and that no decrees of God will be the

leaft obflruclion in the way of any man's falvation,

D 7 Hut

42 To tie Profeffirs

But Pclagius, a man of good underftancling, and
exemplary morals, in his declamations againft fomc
abufcs of baptifm, afleiting, that baptifm itfelf does
not wafh away fin, as was then generally fuppofed
( on which account it was the cuftom with many to
defer it 'till near death ) nor could have been appointed
for that purpofe, becaufe infants, which have no fin,
are baptifed; Auftin, in oppofition to him, main
tained that, though infants have no aElual (In of their
own, they have the ftain of original fin in which they
were bornj though he was far from aflerting that
Adam was the federal head of all his poflerity, and
that his fin was properly imputed to them. This was
an improvement upon the doctrine in after-ages.
What Auftin maintained was, that men derive a
Mrrupt naturty or a pronenefs tofin^ from Adam.

Alfo, having been led, in the courfe of this
controverfy, to afTert, that by means of original fin
no man had it in his power to attain to falvation, he
was obliged to maintain that it depended upon the
•will of God only who fhould be finally faved, and that
he predeflinatcd whom he thought proper for that
purpofe, independently of any forefight of their good
works, which it was not in their power to perform
without his immediate affiftance, and in which he
jnuft be the firft mover.

But notwithftanding this doftrineof the corruption
of human nature^ the jieceffity of divine grace for
the production of every good thought or action, and

the

of Cbri/ltamty. 43

the predeftination to eternal life without regard to
good works, advanced by Auftin, prevailed in the
weft, chiefly through the authority of his name ;
^ was never received in the eaftern church, and was
much controverted, and held with various modifica
tions, in the weftern. Alfo together with this
doctrine of grace, the divines of the roman-catholic
church held the doctrine of human merit, founded
on the right ufe of the grace of God to man. And
the prefent doctrines of grace^ original Jin, zn&predcfti-
nation^ were never maintained in their full extent 'till
after the reformation by Luther, who was a friar of
the order of Auftin, had been much attached to his
doctrines, and made great ufe of them in oppofing
the popifh doctrines of indulgence^ founded on that of
mtrit.

III. A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE DOCTRINE OP
ATONEMENT.

THE doctrine of atonement^ or of the neceffityof
fatisfaflion being made to the juftice of God by the
death of Chrift, in order to his remitting the fins of
men, arofe from an abufe of the figurative language
of fcripture, as the doctrine of tranfubflantiation aJfo
did. But for feveral centuries thefe figurative
expreflions were underftood and applied in a manner
very different from what they now are.

It was granted by fome pretty early writers, that
we were -bought (or redeemed] with a price-, but

then.

44 ^o

then, as we had been the flaves ofyfo, and were
redeemed by God, who ranfomed us by the death of
his fon, it was maintained 'till after the time of
Auftin (the principal author of all the rigid doctrines
that are now called Cahinifl ) that the price of our
redemption was paid not to God, but by God to the
devil^ in whofe power we were. Of this opinion
was Auflin himfelf, who wrote largely on the
fubject in his treatife on the doctrine of the trinity.
It v/as long after his time before we find any traces of
its being generally thought that the price of redemp
tion was paid to the o ffended juftice ©f God and
the prefent doctrine of atonement, founded on the
idea of the abfolute neceifity of an infinitefatisfaction
being made by one infinite being for offences of
an infinite magnitude, as committed againft another
infinite being, is fubfequent to the reformation.
This doctrine was advanced by the reformers in the
courfe of their controverfy with the papifts, about
the doctrine of human merit, works of penance, and
the power of granting indulgences. Now can it
be fuppofed that a doctrine of fo much importance,
as this is always reprefented to be, fhould have been
unknown fo many ages ?

Thus all thefe boafted ancient doctrines are in fact
of late date, either having arifen from the principles
of heathen philofophy, or having been ftarted and
extended in the courfe of controverfy, one falfe
pofition making another neceflary for its fupport ;

and

of Chrtftianlty* 4$

and an air of awful and deep myjlery has been no
Imall recommendation of them to many of the;

more ignorant.

The doctrine of the trinity, having been one of
the earlieil corruptions of chriflianity, will proba
bly be one of the laft to be completely eradicated.
I'ut the time, I truft, is faft-approaching, when,
by means of the seal of truly enlightened and good
men in this great caufe, this fundamental error,
which gives fuch great and juil caufe of offence to
jews and mahometans, will be removed, and all
that has been built upon it will fall to the ground.

THE CONCLUSION".

MY chriftian brethren, if the reading of this
addrefs give rife to any doubts or fcruples in your
minds, with refpecl to fome doctrines which you
have been ufed to confider as true and fundamental
in the chriftian religion, inquire farther; and if you
be fathfit'd that you have hitherto been miftaken,
dare to avow the truth, and act confidently with
it. Dread the confequences of joining with an
enlightened mind, in the idolatrous worjhip of any
creature, though enjoined by any human authority;
remembering the words of Chrift, Thou Jhalt wor-
ftnp the Lord thy God, and him only (bait thou ferve.
Matt. iv. 10. and alfo that awful voice from hea
ven refpefting all antichriftian corruptions of the
gofpel in myflical Babylon j Corns out of her, my

46 To the Projeffors

people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and
ye receive not of -her plagues. Rev. xviii. 4.

Think not to avail yourfelves of the wretched
equivocation of many divines, who imagine that
they may fafely afcribe all divine honours to Jefu&
Chrift, on account of his union with the Father?
when they believe no more of his proper divinity
than profeiTed arians or foctnians. By this artifice
they feeure the reputation of orthodoxy ; but let
them confider the value of the purchafe, and the
price they give for it. To mere worldly confider-
ations, to the praife of men, or filthy lucre, they
iacrifice that integrity, for the lofs of which worlds
cannot compenfate.

The publimer of thefe tra&s does not conceal
his name through the fear of any thing that men can
fay of him, or do to him, but merely to give what he
has written a better chance of being read without
prejudice. What he has done is out of a fmceie
good-will and companion to the multitude, who
believe they know not what, or why, and what is of
more confequence, who know not what fpirit they
are of; but inftead of fpeaking the truth in love,
miftake bitternefs and rancour for a zeal for God
and his truth, and alfo for the fake of a better fort
of people, who are unhappily drawn into the fame
deluiions.

Confidering the deference which the common
people always pay to the judgment of men of learn-

of Chrijllanity. 47

ing, there can be little doubt but that, If thofe
per Tons who, having ftudied this fubje.fl, have been
convinced that Chrift is not God, and ought not
to be worfhipped as God, had openly avowed their
opinion, and had had recourfe to no mean fubter-
fuge or equivocation, this fundamental article of
true and rational chriflianity had long ago been the
prevailing belief; and our religion appearing more
worthy of its divine author, there would have been,
at this time, fewer unbelievers in all chriftian coun
tries, and many more converts made to it from
other religions. And, compared with this glori
ous advantage, what has been gained by all the arts
and fophiftry of miniflers, who have concealed
their real meaning under ambiguous expreflions,
left, as they pretend, they fhould too much fhoclc
the prejudices of their hearers?

That fome regard mould be paid to the prejudi
ces of the weak is allowed ; but let not this lead
men to criminal diflimulation, or extend to things
of fo much importance as this, reflecting the unity
of God. In this cafe, let us keep at the greateft
difta nee from every thing that is difmgemious \ let
the truth be fpoken in the moft explicit manner,
and let the confequences be left to the power of
truth, and the God of truth. Befides, it is impof-
fible that while men retain depraved and unworthy
notions of God, their devotion fhould be fuch as
God requires} fo that this pretended tendernefs

injures

4S To the Profe/on

injures thofe who are the objects of it, as well as
bears an unfavourable afpecl: on the interefts of
chriflianity more at large. Such are the effects of
the wifdom of ibis world^ when it is put in the
place of Jincerityi and a regard to the plain truth of
the gofpel of Jefus Chrift: !

ProfciTmg the purity of the chriftian faith, let us
be careful, my brethren, to adorn it by a blamelefs
and exemplary life. More efpecially let us beware
that we do not wear the form of godlinefi, when our
hearts are deflitute of the power of it ; and that we
indulge no fecret hope, that by any peculiar ftricl-
nefs and aufterity of life, by frequent or long
prayers, or by attending on much preaching1, and
ufmg other means of religion, we {hall atone for a
neglect of the weightier matters of the law^ righte-
oufnefs) mercy, and truth. Let the integrity of our
hearts appear in the chearfulnefs of our counte
nances ; and let us (hew that we love God whom we
have not feen, by loving our brethren whom we do
fee^ and by being always ready to do them every
kind office in our power.

To judge of our love to God, cr of our love to
Chrift, dire£ly, by what we feel when we think of
them, efpecially when we are excluded from the
world, as is the cuftom with many, is to expofe
ourfelves to the groireft and moft dangerous delu-
fions. We find in the fcriptures a much plainer,
and fafer method of judging in both thefe cafes.

This

of Chriflianity, 49

JThis, fays the apoftle John, is ths lave of God, that
we keep his commandments. If ye love me, fays our
Lord, hep my commandments. Ye are ?ny friends,
if ye do ivhatfoever I command you ; and this is my
commandment, that ye love one another. By ihis faall
all men know that ye are my difiipiesy if ye have lovs
one for another.

Remember that true chriftian charity is humble,
modeft, and diffident j and that he is pronounced
to be happy, who fearcth always , fo as to be cir-
cumfpecl in thought, word., and deed ; and that,
for this purpofe, we are to put on the whole armour
of God, that we may withftand the temptations of
the world.

Rather than indulge a pharifaical pride, in re
counting your experiences, boafting how vile you
have once been, or thought yourfelves to be, in
order to make others believe how holy and fancli-
iicd you are now, content yourfelves with the lan
guage and practice of the humble publican, who,
freaking to God and his own heart only, cried,
God be merciful to me a fimcr.

Rejoice in all the real good you fee done by
others, whatever may be their ill-will, or oppofi-
tion to you ; and be efpecially upon your guard,
led your juft averfion to what is corrupt in the
principles or practices cf others lead you to diflike
what is good in them. Let not the pharifaical
rigour of fome throw you into the oppofite extreme
cf levity -3 and let not their laying an undue flrefs
E upon

£0 To the Profejfirs

upon praying, preaching, iind other means of reli
gion, make you negleft them, as we are too apt to
do with refpect to any thing that has been much
abufed.

Having enough to do with our own hearts, let
us be particularly upon our guard againft that fpirit
of cenforioufnefs, which many profeffing chriftians
indulge with too little reftraint. Let us remember
that the true chriftian beareth all things, and hopcth
all things ; and let us never forget the awful warn
ing of our Lord, Judge not that ye be not judged :
for with what judgment ye judge., ye /hall be judged ;
and with what meafure ye mete, it Jhall be meafured
to you again.

Be not moved, my brethren, by the rafh cenfures
and reproaches of others. Perfection, of fome
kind, is what all who live godlily in Ghrtft Jefus muft
expeff to fuffer In this world. To their wrath,
ai:gcr, clamour, evil-fpeaking, and malice, anfwcj
with the wijdom that is from above ; which is pure,
•peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intrcated ; full of
mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and with
out hypocrify. Let us even rejoice that we are
counted worthy to juffer foa?ne, and infult, for the
fake of Chrljl, though our fufferings come not from
the profefTed enemies of Chrifl, but from falfe bre
thren ; and let us not be concerned at being
counted deceivers, if we be confcious to ourfelver,
-that we truly love the gofpel, and that we labour

You

of Chriftianity. 51

You will be called arminlans zndfocimans'by your
adverfarics, or fomething elfe that (hall exprefs
more of their hatred and drflike. But let not this
often d you. If there be any proper meaning in
thofe epithets, it can only be that you hold certain
opinions which they deem to be falfe, but which
you cherifh as the only genuine doctrines of the
o-ofpel. If nothing more is meant by thofe terms,
befides mere reproach and enbufe^ think yourfelves
happy, as being reproached for t':e name of Cbrift.
I Peter iv. 14. With many the appellation of
Lutheran or Calvinift is reproachful, and with many
alfo that of Chriftian is much more fo. Befides,
both Arminius and Socinus were men who loved
the gofpel, and who fuffered more for their adhe
rence to it, than moft others of the reformers,
efpecially Socinus.

If we be chriftians indeed, we fliall confider
ourfeives as not of this world, but as citizens of hea
ven. The frlendjlnp of this world^ therefore, toge»
ther with popularity, and fuccefs in it, ought not
to be confidered as any object: for us. If we abide
in Chrift, and walk even as he alfo walked, not being
conformed to this world^ but being transformed by the
renewing of our minds^ we are heirs of a far nobler
inheritance, an inheritance incorruptible •, undsfiled^
and that fadetb not away, referved in heaven for us ;
and when Chrift^ ^uho is our life^ and for whom we
fuffer reproach^ Jhall appear ', we alfo Jhall appear with
him in glory.

E 2 I (hall

52. To the Prfe/ors

I fhall conclude this addrefs with a word of ad
vice and exhortation to all Unitarians^ whether they
be members of the eftablifhed church, or of any
fociety of diffenters in this country.

Of fuch great importance is the doctrine of the
divine unity , that nothing will more fully juflify
a reparation from any chriftian church that does not
openly profefs it, and much more from thofe that
avow the contrary doctrine, directing prayers, and
paying fupreme worlhip, to any other than the God
and Father of our Lord Jefus Cbrift.

It was for the prefervation of this great and fun
damental doctrine, that Abraham, and his family
by Ifaac and Jacob, were feparated from the reft of
the world, and made a diftinct people, as it were,
to be the depofitaries of the true religion, which
ccnfifls principally in the fole worfhip of the one
true and living God, the maker and preferver of all
things. The fame important doctrine was uni
formly taught by Chrift and the apoftles ; though
chriftians in after-times, like the Ifraelites after the
time of Jofhua, relapfed into that idolatry which
has generally prevailed to this day.

If it was a fufficient juftification of the firft re
formers, that they confidered the church from
which they feparated as worfhiping faints and
angels j will it not juftify your feparation from
their partial reformations, that you confider them
<as praying to and worfhiping one whom you con
fider

cf Cijrifllanity. 53

der as a man like yourfelves, though honoured
and diftinguilhed by God above all other men ?

To join habitually in public worfhip with trini-
tarians, is countenancing that worfliip, which you.
muft confider as idolatrous ; and which, however
innocent in them, is highly criminal in you. If
they think it a point of conference not to go to niafs
in popifh countries, becaufe, in their opinion, it is
idolizing a piece of bread^ you ought to make a
point of confcience of not worfhipirig with them,
becaufe, in your opinion, it is idolizing aman^ who
is as much a creature of God as a piece cf bread,
and juft as improper an object of worfhip.

Befides, the great offence to jews, mahometans,
and the world at large, being the doctrine of the
trinity, it is highly neceffary that focieties of chrif-
tians fhould bs formed exprefslyon this principle of
the divine unity ^ that it may be evident to all the
world, that there are chriftiaris, and focieties cf
chriftians, who hold the doctrine of the trinity in
2s much abhorrence as they themfeU'es can do.
For the converfion of jews or mahometans to chrif-
tianity, while it is fuppoied to contain the doctrine
the trinity, no perfon who knows, or has heard
of jews or mahometans, can ever expect.

You will fay we Unitarians are but few, even in

large towns, and ftill fewer in villages, and there

are no men of Icifurc or learning among us. But

was not this the cafe with the primitive chriflians,

E 3 and

54 7* the Profeffirs

and yet this circumstance was no obftmction to
the forming of a chriftian church in any place? We
read of churches in private houfes.

Affemble together, therefore, in the name and
in the fear of God, and according to the order of
the gofpel, every LordVday,. if there be no more
than two or three, or even a fingle family of you in
a place; read the fcriptures, and pray together.
Alfo read fermons, or other works of moral in-
.ftruction, of which there is, happily, no want at
this day. Baptize, and adminiiler the lord-'s fup-
per among yourfelves ; and as you grow more
numerous, form yourfelves upon fome regular plan
of church-difcipline, that it may be the means of
uniting and keeping you together -s and rigoroully
exclude all perfons whofe conduct would be a re
proach to you.

As to a learned minijlry^ it is acknowledged to be
defirable, where it can be had, but it is by no means
neceflary. The graved and moil refpectable per
fons among youy and thofc who have the moft
leifure, will, in the character of elders^ fele£t and
read proper prayers and difcourfes, and perform all
the offices of chriftian focieties, juft as well as the
elders in the primitive churches, who had no fuch
helps as you now have ; and miraculous powers
were not of long continuance with them.

If you be at prefent members of the eflablifhed
church, you will find a reformed liturgy ready pre
pared for your ufe by Mr. Lindft-y. But if you

fhould

of Cbriftianity* 5$

ftould prefer the mode of worfliip among the dif-
fenters (but men of fenfe will not make much ac
count of fuch diftinctions) you may in many
authors, efpecially at the end of Mr. Holland's
fermons, find forms of fuch prayers as you have
been ufed to : or you may apply to difTenting
minifters of your acquaintance, who will chearfully
give you any affiftance in their power.

AH thefe are trifling obftacles to a great defign.
It requires indeed a proper degree of chriflian zeal;
but the object is worthy of it. The example has
been already fet in Scotland, where it was leaft of
all to be expected ; and the fuccefs has been fuch as
Ihould abundantly encourage fimilar attempts in
this country.

The baptifts and methodifts, not laying much
flrefs upon a learned miniftry, flourifh greatly ; the
independents are now taking the fame methods, arid
with the fame fuccefs ; while the rational difTenters,
fancying they would be difgraced by the want of a
learned miniftry, are dwindling away almoft every
where.

Whatever inconvenience may arife from mere
novelty-y it is foon over ; and as the methodifls are
collecting into bodies in all places, a thing of this
kind will excite much lefs furprize. But what
impreflion ought the cenfure of the world to make
upon thofc who, as chriftians, profefs to be above
the world ) and to rejoice that they are counted worthy
to fuffer Jhafne in the caule of Chrifr, and to think:
themfelves kzppy if they be reproached en that ac
count.

5$ Tff tb* Profe/ors, fcrV.

count. You fhould imagine that you hear that
awful voice from heaven, recorded in the book of
Revelation, ch. xviii. 24. Come out of her, (i. e.
myftical Babylon, the great fcource of all the cor
ruptions of chriftianity) my people, that ye be net
partakers of her fins, and that ye receive not of her
plagues.

Be careful, however, to do this in the fpirit of
chriftian charity, which fhould be extended to all
men, but efpecially to all that bear the chriftian
name. Confider them as men who are in an error,
which is always involuntary. Endeavour to remove
the prejudices they unhappily lie under, but forbear
all angry reproaches, all infult, and even ridicule $
for religion is a ferious thing, and brotherly love is
the very effence of it. And if this love is to be
extended even to enemies, much more fhould it be
indulged towards our merely mtftaken friends.

The author of this a-ddrefs intirely approves of
Mr. Llndfeys Liturgy, or that which was ufed at
the Octagon Chapel in Liverpool ; and hef would
recommend refponfes, efpecially to focieties formed
in this manner, in which it is particularly defirable,
that the members, being nearly on a level, fhould
each bear his part in the fervice. But left fome,
from the force of habit, fhould not be able to recon
cile themfelves to the ufe of a liturgy, and object
to the fcheme on that account, he has drawn up,
and publiflied a fet of Forms for all the cccafons of
Unitarian Jochties.

THE

T H R
TRIUMPH OF TRUTHs

BEING AN ACCOUNT OF
THE TRIAL OF MR.ELWALL,

FOR

HERESY AND BLASPHEMY>
AT STAFFORD ASSIZES,

THE PREFACE.

THIS trial is printed from the author's fecond
edition, even without altering fuch phrafes as are
peculiar to that denomination of chriftians with
whom he generally affbciated, and whole ftyle he
adopted ; and certainly the quakers ought to think
themfelves honoured even by this kind of relation
to Mr. El wall. Such firmnefs in the caufe of truth,
and fuch prefence of mind in aflerting and vin
dicating it, as appear in this trial, are truly apofto-
lical, and have had but few examples fmce the firft
promulgation of chriftianity. It is impoffible for
an unprejudiced perfon to read this account of it
(which is written with fo much true fimplicity,
perfpicuity, and ftrength of evidence) without feel
ing the greateft veneration for the writer, the fulled
conviction and love of the truth, and a proportional
zeal in maintaining it. I fhould even think it itn-
-poffible for the mo ft prejudiced per fen to read it
attentively, but, if he ufe no violence with his own
mind, he will receive fome favourable irnpreilions
both of the author, and of that caufe, which he
fupports with fuch becoming dignity, and with a
temper and difpofition of mind, in every refpect
worthy of a true chriftian.

So great was the force of truth on this memorable
occafion, that a reputable and honeft jury, -dire&td
by a good-natured and fenfible judge, acquitted the

criminal

60 tte Trial of Mr. Elwall.

criminal contrary to the exprefs laws of this coun
try, according to which this glorious man ought to
have been fentenceJ to a fevere punishment, as a
convi6ted and avowed blafphemer. What muft a
lover of truth and of free enquiry, as fubfervient to
truth, think of fuch laws, and of the ecclefiaftical
conftitution of the countries in which they are in
force !

It is to be wifhed that fuch a monument of the
TRIUMPH OF TRUTH might be conftantly held out
to the view of ail mankind, and particularly in this
country where it was exhibited.

The dedication of the treatifc, on account of
which Mr. El wall was profecuted, is dated the eighth
day of the fecond month, 1724; he fpeaks of his trial
in a treatife intitled, A declaration againjl all kings
and temporal powers under heaven, printed in 1732 :
and judge Denton, before whom he was tried, went
the Oxford circuit in 1726 and 1728. From thefe
circumftances it may be concluded, that the former
of thefe years is the date of this remarkable trial,
efpecially as in fome part of the fame year 1720
Mr. Elwall publifhed another defence of the uni-
tarian .fyftern, in a treatife which he intitled Dagon
fallen before the Ark of God, which would probably
have been mentioned in the courfe of the trial, if it
had been publifhed at that time.

TRIAL

THE

TRIAL OF MR. E. ELWALL, &c.

BECAUSE fo many perfons have earneftly de-
fired to read this trial, I have here publifhed a
fecond edition of it, in order to encourage all honeft
men, who have the eternal law of God on their
fide, not to fear the faces of priefts, who are gene
rally the grand adverfaries of liberty and truth,
and the baftions and bulwarks of all ceremonies,
fopperies, and abfurd doctrines that are in the
world.

I do this for the glory of the Moft High God,
and for the honour of his facred law, and for the
good of all my fellow-creatures ; that they may
obey God, and not man ; Chrifr, and not the
pope ; the prophets and apoftles, and not prelates
and priefts ; and God knoweth this is my fincere
defire, that all religion and fpiritual things may be
perfectly free, neither forced nor hindered ; this
being the true liberty of the gofpel of Jejus Chrift9
who faid, The kings of the gentiles exercife authority ,
but it fnall not be fo with you.

About fourteen years ago I wrote a book en
titled, " A True Teftimony for God and his
<c facred Law ; being a plain, honeft defence of
" the firft commandment of God, againft all the
c< trinitarians under heaven, Thou Jhalt have no
" other Gods but me." I lived then at Wolverhamp-
ton in Stafford/hire^ where my anceflors have lived
F above

62 The Trial of Mr. El wall.

above eleven hundred years, ever-fince the Saxons
conquered the Britons.

When this book was publiflied, the priefts in
the country began to rage, efpectally the priefts of
Wolverhampton ; who had a great hand in the feveral
troubles I underwent. In fhort, they never ceafed
'till they had procured a large indiclment againfr.
me at Stafford afiizes ; where I felt the power of
God, enabling me to fpeak before a great number
of people ; being accufed of herefy, &c. But I
truly anfwered, as my beloved brother Paul did in
his day, viz. In that way which fome call herefy, fo
chiife I to ferve the God of my fathers, believing all
that is written in the laiu and the prophets.

Afterthe long indictment was read, I was afked
if I pleaded guilty, or not guilty. I faid I was not
guilty of any evil, that I knew of, in writing that
book ; but if they meant whether I wrote the book
or not (for they had quoted many pages of the book
in that indictment) I owned I did write it ; and
that if I might have liberty to fpeak, I believed I
fliould make it manifeft to be the plain truth of
God.

Then the judge flood up, and faid, " Mr. Elwall,
<c I fuppofe you have had a copy of your indicT:-
<c ment ?" I told him I had not had any copy of it.
Upon which he turned towards the priefts, and told
them that I ought to have had a copy of it. But
they not anfwering he turned to me, and faid,

That

The Trial of Mr. Elwall. 63

That if I would give bail, and be bound to appear
at the next affizes, he would defer my trial 'till then.
But I told him, I would not give bail, neither
fhould any man be bound for me ; that if the prince
of Wales himfelf would, he fhould not ; for, faid
I, I have an innocent breaft, and I have injured no
man ; and therefore I defire no other favour, but
that I may have liberty to plead to the indi&ment
myfelf.

Upon which he faid, very courteoufly, You may,
The judge having given me liberty of pleading to
the indictment, I began my fpeeeh with the facred
firfl commandment of God, viz. Thou Jbalt have no
other gods but Me. I infifted upon the word Me
being a fingular ; and that it was plain and certain,
that God fpake of himfelf, as one fingle perfon or
being, and not three diftincl: perfons. And that it
was manifeft, that all the church of God, which
then heard thofe words, underftood it in the fame
plain obvious fenfe as I do ; as is moft evident from
the words of the prophet Mofes : who faid to Ifrael
thus ; Unto tbee it was Jhewed^ that thou might eft
know, that the Lord he is God> there is none elfe bejides
him -, out of heaven he made tbee bear his voice, &c*
I told them, that from the words he, and him, and
his^ it was certain God was but one fingle perfon,
one fingle he, or him, or his. I told them that all
the patriarchs from the beginning of the world did
always addrefs themfelves to God, as one fingle
F 2 being,

$4 ttt Trial of Mr. Elwall.

being. O them Mojl High GW, poffeffor of heaven
and earth ; and Abraham faid to the king of Sodom^
I have lift up my hand unto the Lord> the Moft High
God, the pojfeffor of heaven and earth^ £sV. They
knew nothing of a trinity, nor of God's being a
plurality of perfons ; that monftrous doctrine was
not then born, nor of two thoufand years after, 'till
the apoftacy and popery began to put up its filthy
head.

Then I tokl them, that all the prophets witneffed
to the (ruth of the fame pure uncorrupted unitariati
do&rine cf one 6W, and no other lyt he : Have we
not all one Father •, hath not one God created us ? Then
I told them the words of God to Abraham ^ 1 am
God Almighty , -walk before me, and be then perfefi ;
and by the prophet Ifaiah^ To whom will ye liken meY
*r Jbali I be equal, faith the holy One, not the holy
Three. I told them that the words Me and One
did utterly exclude any other perfon's being God,
but that One tingle Me -, and that God himfelf
often teftifies the fame truth, by faying, Is there
any God bejtdes Me? And then tells us plainly,
There is no God, I know not any : lam the Lord, and
there is none e/fe ; there is no God befidcsme. Ifaiah
xlv. 5.

Now, faid I, let God be true, but every man a
liar, that is, every man that contradicteth him ; for
he is the God of truth -, he fays, / lift up my hand to
^ Ifay? 1 live for ever.

Aftej

The Trial of Mr. Elwall. 65

After I had pleaded many texts in the Old Tefta-
ment, I began to enter the New; and told them,
that our Lord Jefus Chrift, the prophet, like unto
Mofes^ held forth the fame do&rine that Mofes had
done ; for when a certain ruler came to afk him
which was the firft and great commandment, (or
how he expounded it,) he told him the fame words
that Mofes had faid. Hear, 0 Ifrael, the Lord thy
God is one Lord, not three, and thou ft alt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart^ &c. And the fcribe
faid, Thou haft anfwered right , for there is but one
God, and there is no other but he, &c. Then I men
tioned the words of Chrift in the xviith of John
and ver. 3. as very remarkable, and worthy of all
their obfervation : This is life eternal to know thee
the only true God? and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft
fe.nt. An J then I turner] my face directly towards
the priefts (my profecutors, who all flood on th-e
right fide of the judge) Now, faid I, fmce the lips
of the blefiec? Jefus, which always fpake the truth,
fay his Father is the only true God ; who is her
and who arc they that dare let up another, ia
contradiction to my bleiTcd Lord, who fays, his
Father is thz only true God?

And I fb pp-fd here, to fee if any of them would
anfwcr ; but the power of Gocl came over them, fo
tliat all their mouths were flint up, and not: one of
them fpaks a word. S® that I turned about over my
icft fhoulder, and warned tie people, in the fear of
F 3 Gcd

"66 The Trial of Mr. El wall.

God, not to take their religious fentiments from
men, but from God : not from the pope, but front
Chrift j not from prelates nor priefts, but from the
prophets and apoftles.

And then I turned towards the judge, and told
him, that I was th? more convinced of the truth of
what I had faid from the words of my blefled Lord ;
who faid, Call no man Father here upon earth-, for one
is your Father , even Gad. And call no man Majler^.
for one is your Mafter, even Chrift. From hence,
faid I, i deduce this natural inference, that in all
things that are of a fpiritual nature, we ought to
take our religion from God and his prophets, from
Chrift and his apoftles. It will be too long to
mention all the texts and proofs that I made ufe of;
I will only add one or two, as that of Paul, I Cor.
yiii. 4, 5, 6. where the apoftle tells us, There is no
ether God but one j for though there be that are called
gods (as there be gods many, and lords many) both
in heaven and earth ', but to us there is but one God,
the Father, of whom are all things ; fo that I told
them, here was a plain demonftration ; for he fays,
there is but one God : and he tells us who that one
God is, that is, the Father. And therefore no other
jperfon could be God but the Father only j and
what I had wrote in my book was the plain truth,
and founded on God's own words, Thou Jhalt have.
no other Gods but me.

In

The Trial of Mr. Elwall. 67

In fhort, I could plainly perceive there was a
general convincement through, the court. The
judge and juftices of the peace did not like the pro-
fecution ; but faw plainly, that out of envy the
priefts had done it. I then began to fet before
them the odious nature of that hell-born principle
of perfecution, and that it was hatched in hell ;
that it never came from Jefus Chrift ; and that he
and his followers were often, perfecuted themfelves,
but they never perfecuted any ; that we had now a
very flagrant inftance of it by the papifts ztTborn -3
where they fir (I took away the fchools where our
brethren the proteftants educated their children ;
then they took away the places of their religious
worftiip ; then they put them in prifons ; then
confifcated their eltate?, and, laft of all, took away
their lives.

Now we can cry out loud enough againft this,
and {hew the inhumanity, cruelty, and barbarity
of it ; but, faid I, if we, who call ourfclves pro
teftants, fhall be found a6ling in the fame fpirit,
againft others, the crime will be greater in us than
in them ; becaufe we have attained to greater de-

o

grees of light than they.

However, I told them, that I had put my houfe
in order, and made up my accounts with all men
as near as I could ; and that as I owed no man
here any thing, fo I would not pay a penny to
wards this profecution : and that I vvas fare of it,

that

68 The Trial of Mr. Elwaii.

that whatever fine they laid on me, or whatever
hole or prifon, faid I, you thruft me into, I {ha!-l
find God's living prefence with me, as I feel it this
day : and To ended my fpeech.

Upon this a juftice of the peace, one Rupert
Humpatch, got up, went to the judge, laid his hand
upon the judge's (hoalder, and faid, my lord, I
know this man to be an honeft man ; and what I
fay, I fpeak not by hear- fay, but experience ; for
I was his next-door neighbour three years. Alfo,
another juftice fpake to the fame effect. Then the
judge fpake to me ; Mr. Ehvally I perceive you
have ftudied very deeply into this controverfy ; but
have you ever confulted any of our reverend clergy
and bifhops of the charch si England? I anfwered,
Yes, I have ; and among others, the archbifhop
of Canterbury himfelf, with whom I have exchanged
ten letters, viz. four I have had from him, and fix
he has had from me (at which words all the priefts
flared very earnestly). Well, fays the judge, and
was not the archbifhop able to give you fome fatis-
fa&ion in thefe points, Mr. Elwall? I faid, No;
but rather quite the reverfe ; for that in all the
letters I fent to the archbifhop, I grounded my
arguments upon the words of God and his pro
phets, Chrift and his apoftles ; but in his anfwers
to me, he referred me to a£s of parliament, and
declarations of ftate,. &c. whereas I told the bifhop,
in one of my letter?, chat 1 wondered a man of

his

The Trial of Mr. Elwalh 69

his natural and acquired abilities, (hould be fo
weak as to turn me over to human authorities, in
things of a divine nature ; for though in all things
that are of a temporal nature, and concern the
civil fociety, / will be fubjeft to every ordinance ef
man for the Lord's fake ; even from the king upon
the throne down to the meaneft officer in the
land ; but in things that are of a fpiritual nature,
and concern my faith, my worfhip of God, and
future (late, I would call no man father here upon
earih^ nor regard either popes or councils, prelates
or priefts of any denomination, nor convocations,
nor afiemblies of divines, but obey God and hi $
prophets, Chrift and his apoftles. Upon which
the judge anfwered, Well, if his grace of Canter
bury was not able to give you fatisfaclion, Mr. El-
ivall, I believe I (hall not ; and fo fat down end
reded him \ for I think hs had flood up for near
an hour and a quarter.

Then he flood up again,, and turning to the-
priefts talked fcftly to them. I did not hear what
he faid, or what they faid to him ; but I guefied
from what the judge faid next; for, fays he, Mr,
Elwall you cannot but be fenfible that what you
have writ, being contrary to the commonly received
doctrines of the church, it has given offence to
fome of your neighbours, and particularly to the
clergy ; are you willing to promife, before the face
of the country here, that you will not write any

more

70 The Trial of Mr. Elwall,

more on this head ? I anfwered, God forbid that
I fhould make thce any fuch promife ; for when I
wrote this book, I did it in the fear of God ; and I
did not write to pleafe the church of Rome, nor the
church of England, nor the church of Scotland ; but
to pleafe that God who gave me my breath ; and
therefore, if at any time I find myfelf drawn forth
to write in defence of this facred firft command
ment, or any other of the ten, I hope I fball do it
in the fame fpirit of fincerity as I have done this.
And I perceived the judge was not in any wife
difpleafed at my honeft, plain, boldanfwer; but
rather his heart feemed to be knit in love to me ;
and he foon declared me acquitted : and then the
clerk of the arraigns, or aflizes, ftood up, and faid,
Mr. Elwall you are acquitted ; you may go out ©f
court when you pleafe.

So I went away through a very great croud of
people (for it was thought there was a thoufand
people at the trial) and having fpoke long I was
a-thirft, fo went to a well and drank. Then I went
out of town by a river- fide, and locking about,
and feeing no one near, I kneeled down on the bank
of the river, and fent up my thank-offering to
that good God who had delivered me out of their
hands.

By the time that I returned to the town, the
court was up and gone to dinner : a juftice of peace
and another perfon met me, and would have me to

eat

The Trial of Mr. Elwall. 71

cat and drink with them, which I did ; and after
wards, as I was walking along the flreet fome per-
fons hove up a great falh-window and invited me
up to them ; and when I entered the room, I found
ten or a dozen perfons, moft of them juftices of
the peace ; and amongft them a prieir., whom they
called doctor. One of the juftices took me by the
hand, and faid, Mr. Elwall^ I am heartily glad to
fee you, and I was glad to hear you bear your tef-
timony fo boldly as you did. Yes, fays another
juftice, and I was glad to fee Mr. Elwall come off
with flying colours as he did : upon which the
prieil faid (in a very bitter manner) He ought to
have been hanged. 1 turned unto him, and faid,
Friend, I perceive tbou dofl not know ivbat fplrit
tbou art cf \ for the fon of man came not to dejhoy^
hut to fave : but thou wouldeft have me deftroyed.
Upon which one of the juftices faid, How now,
d-oclor, did not you hear one of the juftices fay,
that he was an honeft man, and that what he faid
was not by hear-fay, but by experience, and would
you have honeft men hanged, doctor ? Is this
good doctrine ? So that the prieft faid but little
more for fome time : So I took leave of the juf
tices , and took horfe for Jflolverhatnpton9 for I knew
there would be great joy in my family, for the
common people all expected to hear of my being
fined and imprifoned. But a farmer that lived
near, who had been upon the jury at Stafford^ got

to

72 tte Trial of Mr. Elwail.

to town before me, and the people went all up
and afked him, What have they done to Mr.
Elwail? Have they put him in prifon ? He an-
fwered " No, he preached there an hour together,
" and our parfons could fay never a word. What
<c muft they put him in prifon for ? I told our
" foreman of the jury, Mr. Elwail was an honeft
" man, and his father was an honeft man, I knew
" him very well." So they were all damped ; but
there was great joy in my family> and amongft all
my friends : Praifes, living praifes be attributed to
that good God who delivered me out of their hands !
Chriir. never told us of that fcandalous popifh
invention, of his human nature praying to his di
vine nature; but, like a true obedient fon of God,
fubmitted to death, even that cruel death which
the hatred and envy of perfecuting wicked priefls
inflated on him, becaufe he had fo plainly and
truly told them all of their blindnefs, covetoufnefs,
pride, and hypocrify. And therefore God ralfed
him fro?n the chad ; and for his faithfulnefs God
has exalted him to be a prince and a faviour to all
thofe that obey that pure doflrine which God gave
him to teach ; that deny big ungodlinefs and Jmfnl
lufts^ we Jhzuld live fobcrly and rigbteoujly in this
world. Then are we bis difciples indeed^ when w< do
thcfe things that he hatb commanded. Then (hall we
be faved, not by the merits of Chrifl^ that is another
popifh invention ; for he never .did any thing but

what

the Trial of Mr. Elwall. 73

what it was his duty to do, and therefore could not
merit any thing for others ; but he taught us the
true way to find acceptance with God, and that
was by doing the will of bis Father which is in hea
ven : and therein he is the way, the truth, and the
life, becaufe no one coineth unto the Father, but by
that way.

Neither did he make fatisfaction unto God for
us. It was impoflible ; and what God never re
quired : But he who had nv pleafure in the death of
finners, but rather that they Jhould turn from their
^vickednefs and live, out of the immeafurablc height
and depth of his love, directed our lord Jefus Chrlft
to teach mankind a never-failing way of being re
conciled to God; and that was by fmcere repentance
and reformation. This was the gofpel or good
tidings of Jefus Chrtft, Repent ye, fvr the kingdom
of heaven is at hand. He tells us, / am not csme to
call the righteous, Int firmer s io repentance-, and by
that beautiful excellent parable of the prodigal
fon, he illuftrates the tender mercy of his God
and our God, of his Father and our Father, with
out any fatisfaction. The compaffionate Father
required none at all, but humble confeffion and
fubmifiion, with fmcere repentance and reforma
tion, and then comes the bejl robe, the ring, the
floes, and the fatted calf , to demonftrate the pater
nal acceptance without fatisfaclion or facrifice, but
« broken wid a contrite heart which he will never re-
G

74 The Trial of Mr. El wall.

fufe ; for he can as foon ceafe to be Gad, as ceafe
to be merciful.

And as to the trinitarians, nothing is more plain,
than that they feed upon afhes ; a deceived heart
hath turned them afide^ becaufe they will not make
ufe of thofe rational faculties which God hath
given them ; nor fay, Is there not a lye in my right-
hand? otherwife they would never flatter the hum
ble Jefusj nor make the moft high God to be a
plurality of perfons.

For as to the holy ghoft (their third God) it is
evidently no diftinct perfon from God, any more
than a man's fpirit is a diftin£l perfon from the
man ; fo thut the fpirit of God is God's fpirit, as
is manifeft from fcripture and reafon, Gen. vi. 3.
My fyirit Jhall not always Jlrive with matt : And the
fpirit of God moved upon the face of the waters : And
God Jald^ Let there be light^ and there was light.
And God faid) Let there be a firmament In the mldjl
of the waters. And God made all things by the word
of kis p&wer. So that the word of God, and the
fpirit of God, are not diftincl perfons from God,
but the power of Qod, and the energy of God. Sa
the word of a man, and the fpirit of a man, are
not diftincl: perfons from the man, but the mart
himfelf j if his word be falfe, or his fpirit be
wicked, the man is falfe and wicked.

The fame degree of ftupidity that leads trini
tarians to call the word of God, and the fpirit of

God,

The Trial of Mr. Elwall. 75

God, diflincT: perfons, would lead them to call the
wifdom of God, the goodnefs of God, the love of
God, the peace of God, the power of God, and
the mercy of God, dliiinct perf >ns ; and make
God to be a trinity of trinities ; for it is certain,
God is exprefsly called by all thofe names.

But whofoever goes about to father th^s abfurd
and horrid clo6lrine of the trinity upon *Jefus C^rifl^
does egregioufiy abufe hi-n ; who told u^ plainly, bis
Father was greater than he ; and that he Lcuid do no
thing of kimfelf) which is a dernonflration that he
is not God : For we are fare God is omnipotent,
and can do all things of himfelf ; being felf-exift-
ent and independent, the fupreme cieator of the
univerfe ; and in this it is, that the Unitarians
triumph as unanfwerable, believing in Jefus Chrijl^
who told us his Father was the only true God, John
xvit. 3.

P. S. By thefe laft words of Chrifl9 I myfelf
was convinced many years ago.

G 2 A FAMILIAR

A
FAMILIAR ILLUSTRATION

OF CERTAIN

PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE
RELATING TO

THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL OF

GOD,

ORIGINAL SIN,

ELECTION AND REPROBATION,
THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST, AND
ATONEMENT FOR SIN BY THE DEATH OF

CHRIST.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. JOHN V. S9»

THE

PREFACE.

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

IN all theological controverfies our appeal lies to
the Bible, which contains the writings of the in-
fpired prophets, and of the apoftles and evangelifts,
wh© have recorded the precepts and do&rines of
Chrift. To thofe who lived in the times in which
thefe books were published, they were, no doubt,
very intelligible ; the language in which they are
written, and the cuftoms to which they allude,
being perfe&ly known to them. But what was
cafy to theni) a long courfe of time has rend'ered(-
extremely difficult to us, who ufe a very different
language, and whofe manners and cuftoms are fo
exceedingly unlike thofe of the jews. On this
account, it may puzzle the greateft fcholar of the
prefent age to make out the fenfe of a paffage of
icripture, which could not but hare been perfectly
underftood by the moft illiterate perfon in that age.
In this ftate of things, the ignorant and unearned
are veiy liable to wreft the fcriptures, as the apoftle
Peter fays they ever have dorr, while good fenfe and
found learning often maintain a very unequal
conteft.

80 The P R E F A C E.

It is another unfavourable circumftance with re-
fpecT: to the right under (landing of the fcriptures
in this country, that tht Englifh tranflation of
them was made at a time when the chriftian world
was but juft emerged from the darknefs of popery,
and while the belief of all thofe opinions which are
combated in the APPEAL was almoft univerfally
retained. Our tranflators, therefore, having been
educated in the belief of, and in a reverence for,
thofe particular opinions, and not having had their
minds fufficiently enlightened to call them in quef-
tion, it is no wonder that, without any ill defign,
they (hould, in many places of their verfion, have
expreflfed their own fentiments, and not thofe of
the apoftles. In ail thefe cafes a juft tranflation is
all that is neceflfary to remove the errors into which
a wrong tranflation has led us. But with refpe<ft
to them, you, my brethren, who are not acquainted
with the languages in which the fcriptures were
originally written, muft necefiarily depend upon
other perfons for the interpretation of them. You
may however be able, in a great meafure, to judge
for yourfelves concerning different translations, by
confidering, if you will take pains to reflect upon
the fubject, which rendering of a doubtful paflage
is moft agreeable to the general ftrain of the fcrip-
tures, and to common fenfe.

Do not, however, immediately conclude that an
interpretation of a paflage in fcripture is unnatural,'

becaufe*

The PREFACE. 81

becaufe, when it is firft propofed to you, it may
fesm to be fo ; becaufe this may arife from nothing
but your having been long accuftomed to under-
irand it in a different fenfe, and from having ima
gined, though without fufficient grounds, that the
tenor of fcripture favoured a contrary fenfe. The
roman-catholics, I doubt not, think it very unna
tural to interpret the words of our Saviour, This is
?ny body, in any other than in the moft literal
manner ; and they think that our lord's faying upon
another occafion, Unlefs ye cat the flejh of jbefon
sf man, and drink bis bleed, ye have no life in you^
abundantly confirms their interpretation.

Now, in this little treatife, I defir.e no greater
indulgence in the interpretation of fcripture than
all proteftant? think themfelvcs juftified in taking,
when they aflert, that the meaning of thefe figu
rative expre/Hons is, not that the flejh and blood^
but that the doftrine of Chrift is to be received and
cligefted, that is, to be improved and praclifed by
us, in order to our final falvation. Since the very
ftrongeft figures of fpeech are manifeftly ufed in
almoll all the books of fcripture, it muft be very
unreafonable to expecl that the moft literal inter
pretation fhould always be the beft.

I muft farther apprize you, my brethren, that
the pafTages which I have attempted to explain,
being, for the moft part, highly figurative, are,
on that account, peculiarly difficult to underftand ;

fo

82 The P R E F A C E.

To that though I may not have hit upon the pre-
cife fenfe of the writers, there may be no doubt,
from other confiderations, that the fenfe which I
am combating is not the true one, which is quite
fufficient for my purpofe. It by no means follows
that becaufe I am wrong, my adverfaries are right.
In thefe cafes there is the greateft room for cri-
ticifm, and diverfity of opinion. I have given
what at prefent appears to me to be the real fenfe
of every text of fcripture which I have tak^n into
confideration, but I fhall gladly avail myf-lf of
the new lights, which may be thrown upon any
of them in future editions of this pamphlet.

In the mean time, with great diffidence of my
own judgment, I recommend what I have rio\V
written to your moft ferious and candid confidera
tion ; defiring that you would read it with your
bibles at hand, turning to every pafTage to which
I refer, and reading what goes before and after it ;
becaufe I have no doubt but that, in this manner,
you will fee much more reafon, if not to approve
of my interpretations, yet to reject thofe of my
adverfaries, than I have fuggefted in this treatife,
in which I have made a point of being as concife
as I poilibly could, confidently with perfpicuity.

The rapid fale of the Appeal makes me hope
that, inconfiderable as the performance is, it has
been the inftrument of fome good, in the hands
fcf that Being who works by fmall things as well
as by great ones.

I. Of

( 83 )

I. OF THE POWER OF MAN TO DO THE WILL OF

GOD.

THAT the facred writers confuler all mankind
as naturally pofferTed of fufficient power to do
what God requires of them, is evident from their
.earneft remonftrances and expoftulations with per-
fons of all ranks and conditions, and their fevere
cenfure of them when they refufe to comply with
their exhortations* Nor was this the cafe with
the jew s and chrijiians only. Who were favoured
with divine revelation. The apoftle Paul evidently
confiders the gentiles alfo in the fame light ; though,
much not being given to them, much was not re~
quired of them.

In the firft chapter of4 the epiftle to the Romans
this apoftle reprefcnts the gentile world, in general,
as having grofsly corrupted themfelves j yet, in that
very reprefentation, he not only fays, ver. 18, 19,
that they had fubjected themfelves to the wrath of
God, revealed from heaven agalnjl all ungodlinefs and
unrighteoujnefi of men^ who hold the truth in un~
righteoufnefs j becaufe that which tnay le known of
God is manifeft, for God hath jhewed it unto them ;
but alf9 ver. 32. that knowing the judgment of God
(that they who commit fuch things are worthy of death)
they not only do the fame , bnt have pleafure in them that
do the?n. So that the degeneracy and depravity
into which they were funk were owing, not to
want of ability, but to wilfulnefsy and a determined

oppofition

84 Pajfages of Scripture

oppofition to the powers of confcience with which
their Maker had endowed them, and which con
tinued unceafing remonftrances within them. Rea-
foning with the jews, in the 2d chapter, he gives
the following reprefentation of fome of the -gen
tiles, ver. 14, 15. For when the gentiles, which have
not the law, do by nature the things contained in the
law, thefe, having not the law ', are a laiv to themf elves.
Which Jhew the work of the law written in their
hearts, their confcience alfo bearing witnefs, and their
reafonings between thcmjelves, accu/ing cr elfe defend
ing * .' and he adds, in the 26 and 27 verfes. There
fore, if the uncircumcifion, i, e. the uncircumcifed
gentile, keep the righteoufnefs of the Iaw9 JhaH not
his uncircumcifion be counted for circumcifjon ? i.e.
Ihall he not be equally accepted by God as a righ
teous jew ? and Jhall not uncircumcifion, which is by
nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the
letter and circumcifion, dojl tranfgrefs the law ? I
prefume no one will think fo meanly of St. Paul's
reafoning as to fuppofe, that he here puts a cafe
which either never was true in faff, or poffible in
nature ; but if this Cafe either ever was true in
fa£b, or pojffible, thofe uncircumcifed gentiles, who
fnould anfwer his defcription, muft certainly have
received from their Maker capacities and powers to
do the will of God acceptably. And if others did
not act in like manner, it was not owing to their

not

* See Taylor*

ilhjlrated. 85

not -having received like natural powers, but to
their not making a like improvement of them.

But let us attend to fome paflages which have
been produced in proof that man is not, by na
ture, able to do the will of God, or that his
maker has not given him capacity, and ability to
know and do his will acceptably, without the
fuperadded operations of fpecial grace to remedy
his natural inability.

I Cor. ii. 14. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the fpirit of God, for they are foolijbntft
unto him ; neither can he know them, becaufe they art
fyiritually difcerned.

Upon this text I would obferve firft, that tha
word, which is here trariflated natural, properly
fignifies animal, or fenfual. Thus i Cor. xv. 44,
46, the apoftle ufes the fame word three times for
that body which dies, and is buried, to diftinguifh
it from that Jpiritual body which fliall rife again ;
where the word animal much better exprefles the
apoflle's meaning than natural. Again James ufes
it, ch. iii. 15. where our tranflators have rendered
it fenfual. 'This wifdom defcendeth not from alive,
hut is earthly, fenfual, devilifl). It is alfo ufed ver. 19.
of Jude's epiftle, and rendered fenfuaL Theft are
they who feparate themf elves, fenfual, having not the
fpirit. Thefe are all the pafTages of the New Tef-
tament where I find this word ufed. And it ap
pears, that where it denotes the chara&er of perfons,
H or

&6 PaJJages of Scripture

or the moral quality of things, our translators have
rendered it fenfual. Confequently, in confiftency
with themfelves, they (hould have rendered the text
under confideration, But the fenfual man (who has no
higher aims than the gratification of his animal
fenfes) receiveth not the things of thefpirit of God, &c.
This would have been readily underftooci and ac
knowledged by all, and is perfectly confonant to
what he fays to the Romans, viii. 7, The carnal
mind is enmity agalnft God-, for it is not fubjeft to the
law of God) neither indeed can be.

Secondly j in this chapter the apoftle aflures the
Corinthians, that the doctrine which he had preached
to them did not take its rife from worldly wifdom,
or philofophy, but was that only which had been re
vealed to the apoftles by the fpirit of God, v. 10.
That he had preached this doclrine in thofe terms
only which the fame fpirit dictated, comparing the
feveral particulars of it one with another, and with
thofe things which the fame fpirit had revealed to the
patriarchs and prophets of old : That none of the
wife or powerful men of this world had, or could
poffibly have difcovered thefe counfels of God re
vealed by the fpirit of God in the gofpel, which
fpirit the apoftles have received, that they might
know, and inftrucl others in the things that are
freely given us of God. But the fenfual man re~
ffivcth not the things of the fpirit of God, revealed by
It to the apoitles, and pi cached by them to the

world ,

illujlrated. 87

world, for they are foolijhnefi to him, contradicting
all his former fentiments and principles, to which he
ftill adheres ; neither can be know tbem^ becaufe they art
(piritually difccrned, i. e. by the fole inftru6tions of
the fpirit, to which he neither attends nor fubmits,
But the Jpiritual man difcerneth or judgeth all things^
i. e. all the forementioned things of God revealed
by his fpirit ; all gofpel-truths ; but be himfelf is dif-
cerned or judged of no man, i. e. he is not fubjeclied
in thefe refpecls to the judicature of the powers of
this world, to the principles of human fcience, or
the rules of human oratory.

Hence I wot4d obferve firft, that the deep thing$
of God) or the things of the fpirit of God, which
the apoftle fpeaks of in this chapter, are the dotfrines
of the gofpel-rev elation. Now it is readily allowed,
that as men were not endowed with any natural
powers whereby they could difcover thefe, they could
not know them before they were revealed. But then,,
they were not under obligation to know or comply
with them, 'till they were revealed. Secondly, that
they who did not receive and comply with them,
when revealed,,are not reprefented as Incapable through
want of natural abilities and powers, but only as dif~
qualified, or under a moral impotence^ through fcnfuai
difpofitions which they indulged, and habits which-
they had contracted .

By the fpiritual man feems to be primarily meant

here, the apoflksj to whom the fpirit" of God revealed

H 2 the

88 P<*/fige* tf Scripture

the truths of the gofpel ; but they alfo may be com
prehended under the denomination, who receive the
gofpel-truths, believing in the veracity, andj fubmit-
ing to the authority of thefpirit which revealed them*

John xv. 5. Without me ye can do nothing. This
fingle claufe of a long fentence, being feparated from
its connexion with what goes before it, is produced
as a proof that man is not able to do the will of God
acceptably, without the immediate affiftance, or
operation, of fpecial grace upon him through Chrifh
But, if we look into our Lord's difcourfe, we find
him exhorting his difciples to adhere fteadfaftly to
tiim and his do&rine, that they might bring forth much
fruit. He reminds them, that they had already gain^-
ed much fpiritual improvement by his inftru&ions,
v. 3. Now ye are dean through the word which I have
Jpoken unto you. He intimates that, if they abandoned
him and his docTrine, they would deprive themfelves
of the means of fruitfulnefs. He is not (peaking
then of the natural powers of man, but of the im
portance of the doctrines which he taught to render
men fruitful in good works j but this feems necefTa-
rily to fuppofe a capacity in man to underftand and
improve his doctrines to theie purpofes.

It feems to be treating Chrift and his words with
great irreverence, to apply them to other purpofes
than thofe for which he ufed them. We all readily
agree that (in our Lord's fenfe of the expreffion)
without him we can do. nothing, i.e. If we abandon-

hira

Hiuflrated. 89

him and the gofpel, we cannot be fruitful in holinefs
or good works 5 and are very thankful for the pro-
vifionhe hath made, and the afliflances he hath af
forded us by his word, that we may bringt forth much
fruit.

Philip, ii. 13. Fa* it is God who worketh in yen
both to ivillandto do o/ his good pleafure.

In this pafTage Oie apoftle exhorts the Philippians
to work out their oivn fahation with fear and trembling^
from a grateful fenfe of the goodnefs of God in
granting them, for that purpofe, the inftruclions and
motives of the gofpel, by which fuch convictions
had already been awakened in them, as had excited
them both to choofe and perform what God required.
The energy or operation of God here fpoken of,
feems to be the energy of inftruttion and perfuafton.
No doubt it is a very reafonable and powerful motive
to us all to work out our falvation, that God, in un-
fpeakable love and good-will, is continually working
in us, by the truths and motives of the gofpel, to
choofe and perform what he hath required of us.

i Cor. xv. JO. But by the grace of God I am
what I am.

Let any one carefully attend to the whole cafe of
Paul's conversion, from being a perfecutor to become
a preacher and an apoftle of Jefus Chrift, and then
fay whether it is reafonable to draw general conclu-
fions refpe&ing all men from fiich a cafe. However
we will all readily adopt his words, and fay, through
H 3 the

go Pajjages of Scripture

the grace of God, and his favours freely beftowed upon

us by the gofpel, we are what we are.

Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye Javed through faith ;

and that not cf yourfelves : it is the gift of God.

The word that doth not refer to faith, as is evident
from the original, but to the preceding claufe of the
fentence. That ye are faved by grace through faith,
this is not of yourfehes : it is the gift of God. He is
the fole author of this method of falvation.
Ezekiel xxxvi. 25, 26, 27. Then will I fpr'mkle clean

water upon you^ andyejhall be clean : from all your

fiithinefS) and from all your idols I will cleanfe you.
rf new heart aJfo will I give you^ and a newfpirit will I

put within you: and I will take away the Jiony heart

out of your jlejh) and I will give you a heart of fajh.
And I will put my fpirit within you^ and caufe you to

walk in my ftatittes^ and ye Jhall keep my judgments and

do them.

Look into the prophet himfelf, and I think it will
appear, that this is a prediction of the restoration of
the people of the jews to their own country at the
tnd of the babylonifh captivity, and that afterwards
they fhould no more return to the practice of idolatry
to which their fathers had been fo prone. Now, the
hiftory of that people informs us that this prediction
was verified in fact. When God promifes to give
them a new heart, and to put a new fpirit within
them, it relates to the particular fubjedt fpoken of, viz.
idolatry: and, in reality, there was a wonderful

change

tttujtratefc g^

change wrought in the difpofitions and pra&ice of
that people in this refpect. This was effected by
the deepimprefftons made upon them by the righteous
judgments of God for the idolatries of their forefathers
and of themfelves. But the nevj heart and new for it
muft not be underftood of an univerfal, or general
change from evil to good, becaufe the whole fubfe-
quent hiftory of the jews, and particularly in the
gofpel-times, contradicts'' it. It may, however, refer
to fome greater change to be produced in the moral
character of the jewifli nation, on their return
from their prefent difperfion, produced by the con-
fideration of the hand of God in it, as the juft punifh-
ment of their former vices. But it feems a ftrange
perverfior, to make this particular prediction to the
returning captives, a general promife to mankind,
at leaft to chriftians, of producing in them a thorough
change of heart and life by the immediate operation
of the fpirit of God. This may be called accommodat
ing fcripture-paflages, but it feems taking very bold
liberties of making what we pleafe out of them, very
inconfiftent with a fincere belief in them, as con
taining the word of God.

Pi aim li. !O. Create in me a clean heart ^ O God,
find renew a right fpirit within me.

"We ought not to interpret the figurative expref-
fions of Hebrew poetry too literally, or to expect
in it the rigid accuracy of exprefium of our weflern
profe. The pfalmift feems to mean no more by
create, thr.n -produce^ or caiife, which does not ex
clude

02- Pajfages of Scripture

elude the inftrumentality of ordinary means, any
more than the word renew. Nay, the pfalmifl
feems to expert that the clean heart mud be created
and the right fpirit renewed^ not by an immediate
operation of, fovereign and almighty grace, but by
the inftrumentality of thofe ordinary and ufual"
means of grace which he had long enjoyed, and
experienced the good effects of; and therefore he
adds in the following words, v. n. Caft me not
away from thy prefence^ i. e. deprive me not of the
ordinances of thy worfhip in the tabernacle, where
thou manifefteft thy prefence in a glorious manner,
dud take not thy holy fpirit from me ^ i. e. that holy
fpirit with the illuminations of which he had, as a
prophet, been fo often favoured, and from which
he had reaped great fpiritual improvement.

Luke xxiii. 43. To-day foalt tbou be with me in
Paradife.

Although certain writers and teachers of religion
profefs not to mention the cafe of the penitent thief
to encourage prcfumption and carelefinefs in any
one, yet they mention it fo often, and infift on it
fo much, as an inftance of a great and fudden
change taking p'lace at the laft hour of a poor
Tinner's life, at the fame time infmuating that the
fame change may take place in others (for the
Lord's band is not foortened^ that it cannot fave^
neither bis ear heavy, that it cannot bear) that I fear
they do, in fa£l, unhappily encourage preemption

and

illujl rated". 93t

and carcivjflhefs in many. Let us therefore con-
fid er this cafe with a little attention.

The abovementioned writers, &c. take for
granted what is by no means certain, that the peni
tent thief's knowledge of Chrift, and repentance
of his own fins, commenced only at the time of
his crucifixion along with Jefus. But is it not
poiPible, that the crime for which he fufFered might
have been committed a long time before, though
he had been apprehended for it only very lately;
when, whatever change might in the mean tim&
have been wrought in his character and converfation^
the law mud take its courfe, and he nmft fufferthc
puniibment due to his- mifdeeds, though he had
repented of them very fmcerely, and become a new
man ? The cvangelifl has faid nothing that precludes
this fuppofition, and therefore we are at liberty to
make it, efpecially if it will contribute to render
the circumfhmces of the narrative more confident
and accountable. Let us fee then what thofe cir-
cumftanccs are.

Firft, obferve that this penitent, in the reproof
which he gave to his fellow-criminal, makes a,
candid and ingenuous confeiiion of his crimes, and
the juftice of his puniihment, and that grounded
upon ajuft arid proper principle, the fear of Godi
D oft not thou fear GW, feeing that tkcu alfo art in-
tbe fame condemnation. And we indeed jujHy^ for we
receive the due reward of our deeds* This feems

muclk

^ PaJJages of Scripture

much more like the language of one who had long
reflected upon, been ferioufly affecled with, and
formed mature conclufions from the fad fubjecl:
than of one who was but juft now {truck with a
conviction of his fins, and a fenfe of his miferable
Hate.

Secondly, obferve alfo the clear and confident de
claration which he makes concerning Jefus. This
man hath done nothing amifs. Can we fuppofe this
declaration made by a man who had not known any
thing of the perfon to whom he bears this teftimony
before this unhappy occafion? Doth it not feeirfc
rather the alteration of one who had had confider-
able knowledge of the re&itude of his character and'i
the unblameablenefs of his conduct ?

There are, I readily acknowledge, many difficul
ties attending the hiftory of the penitent thief,
which I have no occafion to confider in this place,
it being fufEcient for my prefent purpofe to fhew
that the doctrine of the probability of repentance at
the article of death proving acceptable will no longer
have countenance from it.

John. vi. 44.. 65. No man can come is me except
it were, given him of ?ny Father* Every man therefore
that hath heard^ and learned of the Father cometh unto

?ne. No man can come to ?ne, except the father wha

bathfent me draw him. Now how is it that God
is elfewhere faid to draw men, but by the force
•f motives and inftru&ions,. which fuppofe, that

men.

tttujlrated. 9$

trien have a power of attending to them and improv
ing by them. It is alfo to be obferved that, in the
whole of the difcourfe, in which the words quoted
above are introduced, Jefus is blaming the jews for
their infidelity ; and it would be very extraordinary
indeed, if for this purpofe he fhould make ufe of
,an argument, which would intirely exculpate them,
intimating that it was not in their power to do
ether wife.

Our Lord fufficiently gives us to underftand in
what fenfe he ufes the word drawing in the pafTage
quoted above. He explains himfelf v. 45. It Is
written in the prophets, (Ifaiah liv. 13.) And they
JJwll be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard and learned of ihe father comet h unto me. 'This
was the way in which God the Father drew fome of
^he jews to Chrift at that time j viz. fuch of them as,
influenced by reverence, love and duty to him,
heard attentively, and learned the truths which he
had already taught them by Mofes and the prophets;
'but they who v/ereof a different fpirit and conduct,
with refpect to the divine truths already revealed,
could not corne to Chrift, who conilantly referred
them to the teftimoriies of Mofes and the prophets
:jn proof of his divine million. To them it was
not given to know the myfterie-s of the kingdom of
heaven, Matt. xiii. u. Agreeably hereto he fays on
another occafion, If any man will do his will, kt
Jball knew of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or

whether

^6 PaJJages of Scripture

-whether I fpeak of my/elf, John vii. 17. And he
thus remonftrates againft the unbelieving jews,
chap. v. 39. &c. Search the Jcrlptures, for in them
ye think ye have eternal life : and they are they which
teftify of me. — But I know you , that ye have not the
love of God in you — How can ye believe^ who
receive honour one of another^ and feck not the
honour that co?neth from God only. This appears
plainly to be the language of one who coniidered
the caufe of the unbelief of thefe jews as arifing,
not from natural inability, or the with-holding of
the grace of God, but from contracted evil princi
ples and habits, to which they determinedly adhered ;
as he fpeaks v. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye
might have life*

II. OF ORIGINAL SIN.

THAT mankind are confiderabley/^r^;-.? in con-
fequence of the fail of Adam, is not denied -y but
all the evils which Mofes fpecifies as affecting his
pofterity on that account, are of a corporeal and
temporal nature, viz. labour^ farrow^ and death.
It is poflible, indeed, that the body being more
fubject to difeafe, the mind may be more feeble,
and therefore more prone to comply with fome
temptations ; but then it fliould alfo be confidered,
that a fickly conftitution is favourable to many vir
tues, and we fee that a ftate of confirmed health is
often highly dangerous in A moral refpecl ; fo that

illuflrated. 97

upon the whole it is probable that ouf condition is
more favourable to virtue than that of Adam. That
the facred writers did not confider it as, upon the
whole, worfe than his, is evident from their never
giving the leaft hint, that any allowance will be
made to men for that natural difadvantage. Nay
many of the finful pofterity of Adam are blamed
more feverely than he was for his fin : and if we
confider his fituation and the circumftances of his
fall, we cannot fuppofe that he had greater ftrength
of mind to refift temptation that we are now pof-
fefTed of. Since, however, fome particular texts
are alledged, to prove that the nature of man is to
tally depraved by the fall, infomuch that all man
kind, without exception, are now altogether inca
pable of any good thought, word, or action $ and,
moreover, that we are all fubje£t to the everlafting
wrath of God on account of the fin of Adam, I mall
give a brief explication of the principal of thofe
texts.

Gen. vi. 5. And God faw that the wickednefi of
man was great In the earth ; and that every imagina
tion of the thoughts of his heart was only evil conti*
finally. If we underftand this paflage literally, it
will be contradicted by the character which is im
mediately afterwards given of Noah, of whom it is
faid, ver. o, tkat he was a juft man^ and perftft in his
generation , and that he walked with God. But it is
plain that this wickednefs of mankind was not ow-
I in

of Scripture

ing to any natural depravity , which their derivation
from Adam rendered necefTary, but that it was a
voluntary corruption, and h/id its rife from them-
felves only; for it is faid, ver. 12. that God looked
upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt ; for all
flejh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Befides,
this ftate of the world is alledged as a juflifkation
of the divine proceedings againft them, whereas, if
they had been corrupt by the neceffity of nature, it
muft have operated as a plea in their favour, with
that being who confiders our frame, and remembers
that we are but dull. If he makes fuitable allow
ance for the infirmities of our bodies, much more
would he confider the natural and neceflary difor-
ders of our minds.

Job xiv. 4. Wtti can bring a clean thing out of an
ttnclean ? not one. This is a proverbial exprefiion,
fignifying that nothing can be more perfect than
its original ; but Job is not Ipeaking in this place of
the guilt and pollution of man, but of his forrows
and mortality.

Pfalm li. 5. "Behold, I was fiapen in iniquity, and
in fin did my mother conceive me. This alfo has very
much the air of a proverbial exprefiion, fignifying
great depravity of heart, and very early habits of
vice. That it was not intended to exprefs a natural
and invincible propenfity to vice, is plain, becaufe
that would be inconfiftent with the tenor of the
whole pfahn3.in which the humble author feems

difpofed

illiiftrated. 99

rJifpofeJ to aggravate, rather than to extenuate his
offences., to which this laft mentioned confederation
would have greatly contributed.

Rom. v. 12, 13, 14. Wherefore, at by one man
fin entered into the world, and death by fin ; and fo
death pajfed upon all men, for that all have finned, &e,

I think a careful and impartial reader will ob-
ferve, that the apoflle fpeaks not here of the death
of children, whom he does not once mention, or
refer to, through the whole argument. But- he
fpeaks of thofe who were not only capable of finning
but had actually finned, and refers us to the Mofaic
hi (lory of mankind in the ages between the fall of
Adam and the giving of the law by Mcfes. Sin
and death entered into the world by Adam, and
death hath palled upon all men, for that all have
finned, confequently mult have tranfgrefTed fome
law, y. 14, For, before the giving of the law by
Mofes, Jtn was in the wirld, but fin is ntt imputed
where there is no law : and the law of Mo&s they
could not fin againil beiore it was ;: 'en. Nevcrthe**
lefs, death reigned f ram Adam to Afofes, evei over
them that had not finned after the fcxilitude of Adams
tranfgrejflon, i.e. by eating cue forbidden fruit, or
violating any pofitive law of life given to them.
What law then had they finned againft ? Moft
evidently, the law of righteoufnefs which God had
written on their hearts ; the fanclion of which they
were alfo well apprized of (as the apoftle fpeaks of
I 2 the

1 CO P off ages of Script,ure

the gentiles in general, ch. i. 32, of this epiflle)
Who knowing the judgment of God that they which
commit fuch things are worthy of 'death ', not only do the
fame, but have phafure in them that do them. Hence
it appears that the apoftle does not fpeak of the fin
of Adam being imputed to make men Tinners, and
fubjecT: them to death ; but of actual and perfonal
fins, and of death as the recompence of them. Now
look into the Mofaic hiftory of this period, and we
find before the flood that the wickednefs of men was

great in the ea>'th.— Gen. vi. 5. The earth a If 3

was corrupt before God^ and the earth was filed with
violence. For all flejh had corrupted his way upoh the
earth, v. n, 12. And after the flood, excepting
the faith and obedience of Abraham, Ifaac, and
Jacob, we have little eife recorded befides trangref-
fions of the law of righteoufnefs , fins which men
committed, though not after the fimilitude of Adam's
tranfgrejjtm. As to the death of infants \ God, the
great giver of life, hath, undoubtedly a perfect
right to refume it, whenever it feemeth meet to his
infinite wifdom. But I do not recollect that the fa-
cred writers do any where reprefent it as a punijh-
ment either for Adam's fin, or their own. In a few
cafes they fpeak of it as a punifhment of the fin of
their immediate parents, but then, as a punifhment
to their parents, who had finned, not to the chil
dren who had not finned.

•illujlrated. 10J

Rom. v. 6, 8. For when we were yet without

firength^ in due tlme^ Cbrtfl died for the ungodly.
But God commended his love towards us, in that while
we were yetfmners-, Chrifl died for us.
Let the intelligent reader judge forhimfelf, whe
ther the apoftle does not fpeak here of the fbte of
mankind (particularly of himfelf and the perfons he
writes to) before Chr.fl's death, and the confequent
publication of the gofpel to the world, and intimate
that the cafe is very different fmce that happy event ?
Doth he not plainly make the diftinct-ion in both
verfes, that we might not miftake his meaning,
When we were yet without ftrengtb, and while we were
yet fmners ? But doth the cafe continue the fame,
fmce Chrift died, with thofe to whom the blcfllno-s

' C5

of the gofpel are imparted ? then hath Chrift died,
and the gofpel been publifhed in vain. Yet fome
writers reprefent the ftate of thofe for whom Chrift
died, and who have received the gofpc), as juft the
fame, as tojfrength, with them who had not received
it, and who lived before it was publifhed. Surely,
any of us would be difpleafed to have our words
wreftcd to purpofes fo different from our intentions ;
efpecially, when we had endeavoured to guard
them from fuch abufe. God our maker hath given
us intelligent capacities, fuited to thofe difcoveries
which he hath made of his will, whether by the
light of nature, or revelation ; he hath given us
alfo freedom of choice and action for the conduct of
I 3 ourfeivesj

IO2 Pajfeg*5 of Scripture

ourfelves ; he hath granted us the light and motives
of the gofpel for our fuller inftruction and perfuafion;
he is ever prefent with us and ready to affift our fin-
cere endeavours to know and to do his will : furely
then, it is unjuft and ungrateful 'to him to fay that
we are ftill without jlrength j and if we be finners, it
is wholly our own fault. As for the gentiles, even
the worft of them, the apoftle no where afcribes
their want of ftrength, to their not having received
from their maker fufficient abilities to know and da
his will acceptably, but to their having voluntarily
corrupted themfelves and one another, and thereby
loft the abilities which God had given them, and
become dead in trefpaffes andfms.

Rom. vii. 7, 8. Becaufe the carnal mind is en-
viity againjl God\ for it is not fubjeft to the law of
God) neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in
theflejh cannot phafe God.

It appears to me that the apoftle fpeaks here only
of perfonal character and conduct, and the effects of
them in producing governing habits : but not at all
of any corruption or depravity of the nature of man
effected by Adam's fin, whereby he is become inca-
pable of doing that which is good, or of pleafing
God. Adam, or his fin, is not mentioned by the
apoftle in treating of this fubject. It is readily ac
knowledged, that a perfon who attaches himfelf to
the gratification of his carnal or fenfual appetites
and paflions cannot perform the will of God, but

muft

illuft fated. 103

muft daily become more and more alienated from
him and from his duty : but this is faying no more
than that a wicked man cannot be a good man, or
pleafe God fo long as he continues wicked. But it
by no means follows that this man is unable to hear,
underftand, and receive falutary convictions from
the truths of God, revealed by his Son Jefus Chrift,
and thereby become changed in his fentiments, dif-
pofitions, and conduct, and from carnally-minded
become fpiritually -minded. The various forms of
fpeech which the apoftle ufes in the preceding and
following verfes feem only to exprefs one and
the fame thing, viz. the change produced in the
difpofitions and conduct of men by preaching
the gofpel to them, and their attention to it, and
fmcere reception of it, together with the happy ef
fects and confcquences of it.

Ephefians ii. 3. And were by nature children of
wrath even as others.

If we compare the paflages in which the apoftle
ufes the word nature^ we fhall find that he did not
mean by it that internal frame, constitution, or con
dition of being wherewith God our maker hath
formed us; but that external condition, or thofe
outward circumftances (efpecially with relation to
God and religious concerns) in which divine pro
vidence hath caufed us to be born and Jive. Hu
man nature, in our fenfe of the phrafe, is the fame
in all mankind 5 but different perfons may be

brought

104 Pajfages of Scripture

brought forth into life, and fpend it under very dif
ferent natural circumflances, in the apoftie's fenfe
of the word nature. Thus Rom. ii. 14. He fays,
when the gentiles, which have not the law* do by na
ture the things contained in the law, and v. 27. Shall
not uncircumcifon, which is by nature, if it fulfil
the law, judge thee, &c. He here plainly fpeaks
not of an internal frame, conftitution, or powers,
or what we call a nature, which the gentiles had,
different from that of the jews ; but of their exter
nal, moral, and religious ftate and circumftances,
as deftitute of the inftructions and affiftances of the
law of Mofes, by which they were much below the
jews. Again, in the remonftrance which he tells us
he made to Peter, we find thefe words, Gal. ii. 15.
We who are jews by nature, and not fmners of the
gentiles ; when certainly he doth not mean to inti
mate that the jews had a different fort of nature,
or internal conftitution, whereby they were jews ;
but only we who are natural-born jews, and have
all along enjoyed the privileges of that people. So
likewife in the text under confideration, having
fpoken of the Ephefians, as formerly dead in trefpajjes
and fins, wherein, in time pa ft, ye walked, according
to the cotirfe of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience; he adds, v. 3. among
who?n alfo we all had our conversion in times pa/?y
in the lujl of our f.ejb, fulfilling the defires of the

illuft rated. 105

Jlejh and of the mind. Obferve, hitherto he fpeaks
of external condition and circumftances, and of
pcrfonal character and adlual vices, and not at all
of internal conftitution, or a nature corrupted by
the effects of Adam's fin. He adds : and were ly
nature children of wrath ^ even as others, i. e. (con*
formable to his ufe of the word nature in other
places) in confequence of our birth and fituation
among children of difobedience, where we were
kept ignorant of the truth, deceived by falfe prin
ciples, and miflcd by bad examples, we ourfelves
were children of wrath^ as others about us were,
and many Hill continue. By children of wrath I
apprehend the apcftle does not mean here objefis of
the wrath and difpleafure of 6W, but only defcribes
further the perfonal character of thofe whom he fo
denominates. As in the clofe of the former verfe
he had mentioned children , or fens of difobedience^
i. e. difobedient children, (and Peter, i Ep. i. 14*
fpeaks of obedient children, in the original it is
children of obedience] fo here he mentions children gf
wrath) i. e. wrathful, furious, malignant, and mif-
chievous perfons. In a finking and beautiful figure,
he reprefents difobedience and wrath under the per-
fons of two fruitful mothers, whofe offspring they
had been. Accordingly, when the apoille comes in
the beginning of the fourth chapter to exhort the
Ephcfian chriftians to a converfation conformable
to the vocation wherewith they were called, and quite

the

1 06 Pajfages of Scripture

the reverfe of the defcription he gives in this verfe
of their former character and conducl, he begins
with defcribing it thus, v. 2, 3. With all lowlincfs
and meeknefs, with long-fujfering, forbearing one ano
ther In love. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the
fpirit in the bond of peace. He alfo concludes the
chapter thus ; Let all bitternefs and wrath, and anger ,
and clamour, and evil- freaking, be -put away from
you with all malice. And be ye kind one to another,
tender -hear ted, forgiving one another, even as God
in Chrift hath forgiven you. Do we not fee a
greater propriety and force in thefe exhortations,
when we confider them as addrefTed to perfons who
had formerly be:jn children of wrath ?

III. OF ELECTION AND REPROBATION.

Fom. ix. ii, &c. For the children being net yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpofe of God according to election might ft and, not of
works, but of him that calleth, it was /aid unto her,
*lhe eldtr foail ferve the younger; as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Efau have I hated. What
fnall we fay then, is there unrighteoufnefs with God?
God forbid \ for he faith to Mofes, I will have mercy
on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compajjion
on ^vhcm 1 will have compajjion. So then it is not of
him thc.t willeih, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that Jhcweth mercy, &c.

Thefs

Ulujirated. 107

Thcfe verfes, and the whole of this chapter, relate
not to the election of particular perfons to eternal
life, but to the calling of the gentiles, and the re
jection of the jews from the privileges of the gofpel;
and it is manifeft that the apoftle is not fpeaking in
this place of \hzfinaljlate, or indeed of the perfons
of Efau and Jacob, but of their pofterity, and
that only with a view to temporal privileges and
prerogatives.

The whole body of chriftiahs, confifting of jews
and gentiles, are frequently ftiled the chofen, and
elect of GW, on account of their external privileges,
as the whole jewifh nation had been fo named be
fore, on the fame account. This is an eafy and
plain fenfe of eleftion9 reflects not at all on the
perfections of God, is confident with the offers
and exhortations of fcripture, and preferves a har
mony between the language of the old and new
teftament.

It muft be acknowledged, however, that in order
to vindicate the divine conduct in the calling of the
gentiles, the apoflle alledges fome facts, in which
not whole nations, but particular perfons are fpoken
ef, and which feem to imply, that their minds
were under fupernatural influence in forming bad as
wel) as good refolutions ; and there are other paf-
fages of fcripture which at firfl fight feem to look
the fame way.

The

108 Pajfeges of Scripture

The hardnefs of Pharaoh's heart, Exod. ix. 16.
Rom. ix. 17. the obftinacy of Sihon king of Hefh-
bon, Deut. ii. 30. and the unbelief of many of the
jews, If. vi. 10. Mat. xiii. 14. Mark iv. 12. Luke
viii. 10. John xii. 40. Acts xxviii. 26. Rom. xi. 8.
are all afcribed to the purpofe, act, or decree of
God, who had important defigns to anfwer by
means of thefe blameable determinations of men.
On the other hand, when perfons believe and obey
the gofpel, it is afcribed to the divine influence
upon their minds.

Mat. xi. 25. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of hea
ven and earth* becaufe thou haft hid thefe things from
the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them unit
lales. Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy
fight , John vi. 27. All that the Father giveth me
Jhall come to me. See alfo John 17. Acts xvi. 14.
And the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, that Jhe at~
tended to the things that were fpoketi of Paul. More
over, every thing of this nature is exprefsly re
ferred to the arbitrary difpofition of God, in Rom.
ix. 1 8, 23. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he
will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Thou wilt fay, then, unto me, JVhy dotb he yet find
fault, for who hath refifted his will? Nay but, O man,
who art ihou, that thou replicft againft God? Shall
the thing formed fay unto him that formed it, why haft
thou made me thus ? .Hath not the potter poiver over
the (lay, of the fame lump to make one vej/el unto ho-

Utujl rated. 109

9 and another unto dijhonour ? What if God, wil
ling to Jhew his wrath^ and to make his power known,
hath endured with much long-juffering the vejfils of
wrath fitted to dejlruttion ; and that he might make
known the riches of his glory on the veffels of mercy y
which he had before prepared unto glory.

To underftand fuch paflages as thefe, we fhould
confider, that in the language of the fcriptures God
is faid to do thofe things, which come to pafs accord
ing to the natural courfe of things, as well as to
perform things of a miraculous nature ; becaufe
they take place in confequence of the laws which
he has originally eftablimed. And, certainly, if
God had not made men liable to be feduced by
temptation, they would not have finned, any more
than they could embrace truth without the means
of becoming acquainted with it; and it muft de
pend upon the good-pleafure of God whether he
will afford men more, or fewer advantages for at
taining to knowledge, virtue, afid happiness. But,
notwithftanding this, if the means have been fuch
as would have been effe&ual, provided there had
been no criminal prejudice to fruftrate them, men
are blamed, and God is juft and wife in punifhing
them, as well as in rewarding thofe whofe minds
are fo difpofed, as to receive advantage from the
means of virtue and knowledge which are afforded
them.

K Now

HO PaJJages of Scripture

Now that in this fenfe the facred writers con-
fidered God as juft to all mankind, is evident from
the many earneft exhortations and expostulations
addrefled to fmners in the books of fcripture, and
from the blame and reproach which men are repre-
fented as incurring, when they continue in vice
and ignorance. It is not poffible that any perfons
could be fo inconfiftent with themfelves, as to ex
hort fmners to repent, and to blame and reproach
them for not repenting, if they did not confider
them as having a natural power to comply with the
exhortation. Nay, in this very pafiage of the
apoftle Paul, which is, perhaps, the moft favour
able to the dodlrine of abfolute decrees of any thing
in all the books of fcripture, God is reprefented
as enduring, with much long-fu/ering, the veffels of
wrath fitted to deftruftion^ which evidently implies
that they had fufficient power and time to repent,
and to prevent their impending defti uclion ; and
therefore proves that their deftrudlion was not de-
treed^ but in cafe of their impenitence.

How much foever, therefore, the facred writers
refer to God, upon particular occafions, and what
ever ufe they may fuppofe that his infinite wifdom
will make of the errors and vices of feme individu
als of mankind, in order to promote the interefts of
truth and virtue more at large, we cannot but con
clude, that they confidered every man's own deter
mination as final with rdpecT: to his future ftate ;

and

illujlratecl 1 1 f

and it is to be obferved that neither the obftinacy of
Pharaoh, nor even the infidelity of the jews, had
any neceiTary connection with their ftate after death.
The former might be hard-hearted with refpecl to
the Hebrews, and either rewarded for other virtues,
or puniihed fjr other vices, in a future ftate ; and if
the unbelieving jews were in other refpefts fuch
men as Paul, who had a zeal for God, though not
according to knowledge, they may find mercy in
the day of judgment. There is not afingle palTage
in the fcriptures which reprefents the future mi (try
of any individual of mankind as determined by an.
arbitrary decree of God ; but a thoufand paffages in
which it is exprefsly faid, that the future ftate of ail
mankind depends entirely upon their own voluntary-
actions.

After thefe obfervations, (hort remarks on another
paflage may fufHce for the purpofe of this feclion.

P.om. viii. 28. Andwe know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, who ore the
called according t9 his purpofe. For whom he did for e~
know, he did a If 3 predsftlnate, to be conformed is the
image of his fen, that be might be thefirft-born among
many brethren. Moreover^ whom he did predsjiindte,
them he alfo called ; and whom he called^ them he aJfo
juflificd > and whom hejujiified^ them he alfo glorified.

All that we can fairly infer from this paiTage is,

that the end of trie chriftian difpenfation, or of the

calling of mankind to the faith of the gofpel, is their

K 2 fenfli-

112 Paffhges of Scripture

fanclifi cation and future glory; for it is m an i reft that
all who are called are not jvftified» If this term
called be reftri<5ted in its meaning, let it be reflricled
by St. Paul himfelf, viz. to thofe who love God;
which is fufficiently reprefented as depending upon
men themfelves, by being the fubjefls of precept
and exhortation. Thou Jhalt love the Lord thy God^
with all thy heart } &c.

IV, OF THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

NOTHING can be more evident, from the whole
tenor cf the new Tefbment, than that the perfon
who is diftinguifhed by the name of the Father is
the only true God, exclufive of the Son, or any
other being whatever. Neverthelefs, there are fame
fmgle and unconnected paffages, efpecially in our
tranflation of the bible, which feem to favour the
contrary opinion, namely, that of the divinity of
Chriil. The intimate union which fubfifted be
tween God and Chrift, the powers communicated
to him by God, efpecially after his refurreclion and
afcenfion, and the diftjnguifhed honours conferred
•upon him, eafily lead us to the genuine fenfe of the
mofl confiderable of thefe expreffions, and make it
evident that nothing was meant by them in the leaft
derogatory from the fole proper divinity, and abfo-
lute fupremacy of the Father.

I. Chrift being appointed the king and judge of
men has powers given him adapted to thofe offices,

efpecially

illu ft rated. 113

efpecially a knowledge of the human heart, and the
prerogative of declaring the forgivenefs of fin,
which always accompanies regal authority ; but
being affifted by divine wifxiom and difcernment, as
well as by divine power, in the exercife of this high
office, it is, in effec>, the fame thing as the judg
ment and mercy of God difplayed by the inftru-
mentality of Jefus Chrift. We ought not, there
fore, to be furprized at fuch exprellions as thefe.
Mat. ix. 4. And Jefus knowing their thoughts.
John ii. 35. He knew what was in man. Mat. ix. 2.
Thy fins are forgiven tbee. The multitude, who faw
Chrift exerting a miraculous power upon this occa-
fion, and heard him exprefs himfelf in this manner,
had no idea of his claiming any extraordinary
power, as naturally inherent in bimfilf; for it is faid,
ver. 8. that when the multitude faw //, they marvelled^
and glorified GW, who hud given fuch power unts
men. The fcribes and pharifees, indeed, faid
within themfelves, upon this occafion, ver. 3. This
man blafphemeth. But the jews called it blafphemy
to pretend to be the Chrift ; for when the high-
prieft folemnly adjured our Lord by the living God,
Mat. xxvi. 63, that he would tell him whether he
was the ChriJI, the fin of God, and our Lord ex-
prefsly replied that he was the Chrifl, we read,
ver. 65. then the high prie/1 rent his clothes, faying he
hath fpsken blafphe?ny»

K 3 Col.

PaJJages of Scripture

Col. ii. 9. In him dwelleth all the fullnefs of the
godhead bodily. This is a very proper expreflion,
being ftri&ly and literally true, though Chrift him-
felf was a mere man, fince the wifdom and power
of the one true God, the Father, were manifeft in,
and a£ted by him, agreeably to his own declarations,
that the words which he fpake were not his own, but the
father's who fent him, and that the father within him
did the works. Nay, this very expreflion, that the
fullnefs of the godhead dwelled or rejtded in him,
feems to imply that it did not naturally belong to
him. Befides phrafes fimilar to this are applied by
way of figure to chriftians in general. They are
faid to be partakers of the divine nature , 2 Pet i. 4.
to be filed with all the fullnefs of Goo1, Eph. iii. 19.
and to be the fullnefs of him, that flleth all in all ^
Eph. i. 13.

Thefe obfervations will eafily help us to under-
ftand what is meant by Chrift being called the
Image of the invifible God, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Col. i. 15.
and the exprefs image of his p erf on, Heb. i. 3. and
alfo his being in the form of God, Philip, ii. 6. for
they all allude to thedivine power and wifdom which
were difplayed in him when he was on earth, but
more efpecially now that he is afcended into heaven;
at the fame time, Chrift being called only the image
of God, is a fufficient intimation that he is not
God himfelf. Indeed, if this expreffion was to be
allowed to be any proof of the divinity of Chrift,

it

illujlrated.

it would follow that Adam was God ; for it is faid^
Gen. i. 26. 27. *That God ?nade man in his ovm
image, and after bis likenefs.

It is with as little appearance of reafon that
Chrift is argued to be very and eternal God, becaufe
he is ftiled the Son of God; for all chriftians have
the fame appellation, i John iii. 2, Now are we
thefons of God. We are alfo called not only the
children but alfo the heirs of God, and joint-heirs-
with ChriJI, Rom. viii, 17. Adam is more efpe-
cially called the fen of Gad, Luke iii. 18. and
Ephraim is called his dear fen, Jer. xxxi. 20.

John x. 30. / and my father are one. xiv 10.
I am in the Father, and the Father in me. That is,
we are one in defign arid intereft. But whatever
be the union between the Father and the Son ; it
is of fuch a kind, that his di iples are capable of
it with refpecl: to them both ; for, in Chrift's
prayer for his diiciples, he fays, John xvii, 20.
Neither pray I for thefe alons, but for them alfo who
Jhall believe on me through their tvord, that they all
may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee,

that they alfo may be one in us : and the glory which

thou gavejl me, I have given the?n, that they may be
one, even as we are one ; / in them, and thou in me,
that they may be made perfeft in om, and that the world
way know that thou haft fent me, and haft loved them
as thou haft hved me.

John

Ii6 Pajfages of Scripture

John v. 23. That all men Jhould honour thr fan,
even as they honour the Father; that is, as well as the
Father. The fame word is ufed, where it can have
no other fenfe, in John xvii. 23. And haft loved
them as thou haft loved me ; that is, not in the fame
degree, but in like manner as. To explain the fenfc
of the entire pafTage in which the words abovemen-
tioned occur, let it be obferved, that the jews had
perfecuted Jefus, becaufe be had made a man whole
on the fabbath-day. By way of apology, he
fays, v. 17. My Father worketh hitherto, that is,
in the courfe of his providence on the fabbath, as
well as on other Jays, and I work; that is on the
fabbath-day alfo. Upon this the pharifees were
more enraged, becaufe he called God his father , and
becaufe he made himfelf ( not equal with God, as we
render it) but like unto GW, affuming fo much of
his prerogative, as to claim the privilege of working
on the fabbath-day as well as God. However, to
{hew them that he meant nothing arrogant in what
he had faid, and that this privilege was given to him
by God, he immediately replies, v. 19. Verily,
•verily, I fay unto you^ the Son can no nothing tf him
felf \ but what he fees the Father do ; for what things
foever he doth^ tfafe alfo doth the fon likewife. He
then proceeds to reprefent all his extraordinary
power as the gift of his Father, v. 20. For tht
Father loveth the fon, and Jheweth him all things that he
himfelf doth; and be will foew him greater things than

tbeje,

'illufi rated. 1 1 7

thtfe, that ye mxy marvel. For as the Father raifeth
up the dead, and qtiickenetk the?n, even fo the fin
quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no
man, but, hath committed all judgment unto the fon^
that all men fhould honour the Jon, even as they honour
the Father. He that honour eth not the fin, honour eth
not the Father who hath fent him. Indeed, this very
laft claufe fufficiently (hews that the honour to
which Chrift is intitled is not on riccctmt of what
he is, or has of himfilf, but on account of what he
derives from God, as his ambaffador.

II. Very high titles arcjuftly given to Chrifr as
the founder of the chnflian religion, and efpeciailj
as fuperintcnding the affairs of his church, and as
controuling whatever can aftc^l the interell of his
church. Thus the author of the epiftls to the
Hebrews fcftiles him, the author and finifoer of our
faith. Heb. xii. 2. H'^ is alfo faid to be the head
f/ver all things to hh church, Ephu i." 2. Thc-fe h;gh
titles are attributed to Jefus with refpect to the ft ate
of glory, and univcrfal dominion, to which he is
ex.ihed by the Father.

The author of the epiftle to ths Hebrews makes
ufe of a phrafe of the fame import with this of the
apoftle John, where "he only means to exprefs the
unchangeabJenefs of the doclrinc of Chrifr, as the
connection of it, with what goes before and after,
makes very evident. Heb. xiii. 7. Remember them
which have the rule over you, who have fpoken unto

1 1 8 PaJTages of Scripture

you the word of God^ whofe faith follow ^ confiderlng
the end of their converfation^ Jefus Chriji the fame
yejlerday, to-day, and for ever. Be not carried away
with diverfe and Jlrange doftrines. The whole is
intended to inculcate a fledfaft adherence to the
genuine doctrine of Jefus Chrift.

It is plain, from many pafTiges in the book of
Revelation, that the author of it confidered Chriffc
as a perfon fubordinate to the Father, and the
minifler of his will, and therefore no fingle expref-
ilon ihould be interpreted in fuch a manner as to
make it imply the contrary. The very firir. words
of the book fufiiciemly exprefs this. The Revela~
tlon cf jfju* Chrijl^ which God gave unto him. ver. 6.
IVho has made us kings and pr lefts unto God, and
( or rather, even) his Father ^ ii. 26. And he that
GU>crco?neih and keepeth my wsrks unto the end^ to
him will 1 give poiver ever the nations — even as I
received of ?ny Father, iii. 14. Him that overcometh
will I make a pillar in the temple of my 6W, and
he JJiall go no more out, and I will write upon him
the name of my God, and the name cf the city cf my
God, which is new Jerufalem, which cometh down
cut of heaven from my God, ver. 21. To him that
over cometh will I grant to fit with me in my throne^
iven as I alfo overcame., and am fitten down with my
Father in his throne. Farther, this writer, evidently
fpeaking of Chrift in his higher! capacity, ufes the
following expreffionSj ver, 14. Thefe things faith the

amen*

illujl rated. 119

amen, the faithjul and true witnefs, the beginning (or
the moft excellent ) of the creation of God\ which
plainly implies that, how excellent foever he may
be, he is but a creature.

Matt, xxviii. 29. And lo I am with you always ,
even to the end of the world. Chrift, who is conftituted
head over all things to his church, undoubtedly takes
care of its interefts, and attends to whatever concerns
his difciples ; and being with a perfon, and taking
care of him are, in the language of fcripture,
equivalent expreflions. See Gen. xxi. 20. 22.
xxviii. 15. xxxix. 2. Befides, Chrift, having a
near relation to this earth, may even be perjonally
prefent with his difciples when they little think
of it. But it is by no means neceflary that he be
personally prefent every where at the fame time ;
fmce God may communicate to him a power of
knowing diftant events, of which he appeared to be
pofTeffed when Lazarus was fick. This is certainly
no greater a power than God may communicate to
any of his creatures.

Another paflage which feems to fuppofe the om-
niprefence of Ch rift is, Mat. xviii. 23. For where
two or three are gathered together in my name^ there am
1 in the mldjl of them ; but if we confider the whole
of this pafTage, in which our Lord is fpeaking of
the great power of which his apoflles would be pof-
fefled, and efpecially of the efficacy of their prayers,
we fhall be fatisfied, that he could only mean by this
form of expreflion to reprefent their power with

God,

120 Pojjog^ of Scripture

God, when they were afiembled as his difciples,
and prayed fo as became his difciples, to be the fame
as his own power with God ; and God heard him
always. That our Lord could not intend to fpeak of
himfelf as the God ivho keareth prayer, is evident from
his fpeaking of the Father, in this very place, as the
perfon who was to grant their petitions, ver. 19.
Again I fay unto you, that if two of you Jhall agree on
earthy as touching any thing that they /hall ajk, it Jhall
be done for them of my Father who is in heavtn.

III. Considering the great power with which
Chrift was inverted on earth, and more efpecially
the authority to which he is exalted now that he is
in heaven, it is certainly right that a very high de
gree of refpecl fhould be paid to him j and from the
manner in which this is expreiled, and efpecially
becaufe the word worjbip is made ufe of on thofe oc-
cafions in our Englifti tranflation, fome perfons
have been confirmed in their opinion, that he is the
proper objecT: of fupreme or divine worfhip, and is
therefore truly and properly God j but any perfon,
who will confider the real import of the following
pafiages, muft fee that they arFcrd no foundation for
fuch a conclufion.

Heb. i. 6. JVhen God brlngeth in the fir ft -begot
ten into the world, hefaitb, Let all the angels of God
^vorJfhi^ him. Alfo the leper, Mat. viii. 2, the ru
ler, Mat. ix. 18, the woman of Canaan, Mat. xv.
25, the poor people in the fhip, Mat. xiv. 33, and

his difciples. Mat. xxviii. 9 17, are all faid

to

illujlrated* 121

to have worjhippedhim* But the very c ire um (lances
in which this worfhip was paid to Chrift fufficiently
prove that divine worjhip was not intended ; becaufe
it is well known that the jews had no expectation
of any other perfon than a man for their iMefliah $
and when Nicodemus was convinced of the mira
culous power of Jefus, he concluded, not that he
was God, but that he muft have been impowered by
God\ for he fays, John iii. 2. Rabbi, ive know that
thou art a teacher come fro?n God-, for no man can ds
tbcfe miracles that thou doeft^ except God be with him.
Befides, it is well known that the Greek word,
which, in the above-mentioned pafiages, is ren
dered worjlnpi is frequently ufed to exprcfs a very
high degree of refpecl: ; but fuch as may be lawfully
paid to men of a proper character and rank. And
indeed our word worjbip^ though it is now appro
priated to that worfhip which is due to God only,
was formerly ufed with greater latitude, and even
in our tranilation of the bible; as when a fervant,
in one of our Saviour's parables, is faid to have fal
len down and worjhipped his matter, dying, Have
•patience with me^ and I will pay thct all : where cer
tainly divine worfhip could not be meant It is alfo
an evidence of this ufe of the word, that in our
marriage-fervice the man is directed to fay to the
woman, With my body 1 thee worjbip^ and the terms
worftipi and worJbjpfuJ^ are ftill applied to feveral
of our mngiftratesj and bodies of men.
L

122 PaJft'gM Gf Scripture

Alfo, in the Greek tranilation of the Old Telia*
ment, the fame word that we render worfhip in the
New is frequently ufed where fupreme worfhip
could not be intended. Otherwife Abraham mud
be fuppofed to have intended to pay fupreme wor
fhip to the angels, when he took them to be men ;
and to the fons of Heth, when he was making a
bargain with them for a piece of ground to bury his
dead.

IV. Arguments have been brought to prove the
divinity of Chrift from the names and titles ^ which
are given to him, as well as from \.\\zpciuers afcribed
to him, and the worjbip that is paid to him ; but if we
confider the proper meaning of other fcnpture-names9
and the occafions on which they were conferred,, we
muil be fatisficd, that very little ftrefs is to be laid
on fuch an argument as this,

Ifaiah vii. 14.. Behold a virgin Jhall conceive, and
bear a fon, and Jhall call his name Emanuel^ Mat, i.
23. Behold a virgin Jhall be with child) and bear a
/j«, and Jhall call his name Emanuel^ which rV, being,
interpreted, God with us. Thefe texts have be;jn
thought to imply that Chriit is a compound-being,
or that he is God incarnate-, but if we confider other
inflances of names impofed by the divine direction
in the fcriptures, we fhall find that they do not al
ways exprefs any thing chara&er'rftic of the perfon
on whom they are impofed, but that they were in
tended to be a memorial of fomc divine promifc or
afuirance, refpecl'ng. things of a public and genera!

concern',

illujlr cited. 123

concern. Thus the prophet Ifaiah, vii. I, &c.
was directed to call his fen Shear~yajhub, which
fignifies a remnant fhall return^ to exprefs to the
jews, that only a fmall number of their enemies
fnould return from the invafion with which they
then threatened them, or that a number of their
own people who had been carried captive fhould re
turn. Another child he was directed to call Mcwer-
Jhalal-hajh-baz, on a fimilar account; and of Jerufa-
Jem it is (aid, This is the name wherewith foe ftiall be
called^ the L^rd our rigbUtiufr.efs, to exprefs that
God would appear in that character to his people.
In like manner the divine beinir, admitting that ha
appointed Chriil to be called Emanud^ might,. do
it to engage to manifeit his own prefence with his
people, by protecting and bloffing them, and in-
fii&ing vengeance on their enemies and oppreffors.
For this prediction was given upon the occafiori of
an invafion by the Ifraelites and Syrians.

Ifaiah ix. 6. Unto us a child is born, unto us a fort
is glveri) and the government Jhall be upon his Jhoulder ;
and his name flail be called wonderful, counfcller^ the
mighty Godj the ever lafting father ^ the prince of peace.
In this, as in the former cafe, thefe titles may not
exprefs what Chrift /j, but what God will manifeft
himfelf to be in him, and by him ; fo that, in the
difpcnfation of the gofpc], God, the wife and bene
volent author of it, will appear to be a wonderful
counfellor, the ever] ailing father, and the prince of

124 P^Jfeges of Scripture

peace. If this name be fuppofed to characterize
Chrift himfelf, it will by no means favour the com
mon doclrine of the trinity ; becaufe it will make
him to be the Father^ or the firfl perfon, and not
the fony or the fecond perfon. Befides, whatever
powers or dignities are to be pofTefied by Chrifr, it
is fufficiently intimated in this place, that he docs
not hold them independetit, and underlved\ fmce he
himfeif, and all the bleffings that he beftows, are
faid to be glven^ that is, by God ; and at the con-
clufion of the prophefy, in the next verfe, it is faid,
that the zeal of the Lord of hojts ivill perform this.
\ would a)fo obferve that that part of the title on
which the greatefr. ftrefs has been laid may be ren
dered the mighty God my father for ever ', or the mighty
Cod is my father for ever, which is exactly agreeable
(o many declarations of the fcripture concerning
Chrift, and his ufual title of the fon of God , and to
this the angel, in his falutation of Mary, might
probably allude, when he faid Luke i. 32. He
jkall be great and Jh all be called the fon of the highejl ;
snd it is very obfervable, that what he adds coiref-
ponds moft remarkably with the remainder of this
very prophefy of Ifaiah. The prophet fays, ver. 7.
Of tie increafe of hh government y and peace, there Jhall
1?e no xnd^ upon the throne of David^ and upon his
kingdom^ to order it and to eftablljh /V, with judgment
and ivithjujlice, from henceforth even for ever. The
angel fays. He Jhall be great^ and JJwll be called the

[on

illujlratcd. I2:f

fen of the higheft, and the Lord God Jk all give unto
him the throne of his father David, and be Jhall reign
ever tkehoufe of Jacob for ever, and of tm kingdom
there fa all be no end,

V. Many of the texts, which are ufually alledged
in proof of the divinity of Chriit, relate to God the
Father only. One of the mod remarkable of thefe
is John i. In the beginning was the word9 and the
word iv as with God, and the word was God. 'The
fame was In the beginning with God. All things were
made by /;///;, and without him was not any thing made,
that was made. In him was life, and the life was the-
light of men ; and the light Jhincth in darknefs^ and-
the darknefs comprehended it not. There was a man
fait from God) wkofe name was "John. The fame
came for a witnefs^ to bear witnefs of the tight , that*
all men thrrugh him might believe. lie was riot that
tight, but was fcnt to bear witnefs of that light. That
was the true tight; which lightetb every man that
comsth into ths world. He was in the world^ and the
world was made by hun^ and the world knew him not.
Pic ca?nc unto bis ovjn.} and bis own received him not.
And ths word was made flejh^ and dwelt among us9.
and ws beheld his glory y the glory as of the only-begot--
Un of the Father ^ full of grace and truth.

Thefe words, interpreted in the mod literal

manner, only imply that the word, or Chin ft, had

a being before the creation of the world j that he

had the title of -God, or of a God9 and was the in-

L 3 ftrument

126 Paffagtl of Scripture

ftrument by whom the fupreme God made all
things ; but they by no means imply that he was
true and very God ; for magiftrates and others are
fometimes called gods, on account of their power
and dominion, in which they refernble God. Nay
the derivation of Chrift from the Father, and con-
feqtrently his dependence upon him, is fufficiently
expreffed by his being called, in the laft of thefe
verfes, the only-begotten of the Father.

To me, however, it appears, that the apoftle
does not fpeak of the pre-exiftence of Chrift in this
place ; but only of the power and wifdom of God,
which dwelled, or tabernacled in his fleih ; and that
he probably meant to condemn fome falfe opinions
concerning the logos (which is the Greek for
word) which are known to have prevailed in his
time. Now, in contradi&ion to them," the apoftle
here afferts, that by the wordofGod* we are not to
underftand any being diftincl: from God, but only
the power or energy of GW, which is fo much with
GW, that it properly belongs to his nature, and is
not at all diftincT: from God himfelf 5 and that the
fame power which produced all things was manifeft
to men in the perfon of Jefus Chrift, who was fent
to enlighten the world ; that though his power
made the world, it was not acknowledged by the
world, when it was revealed in this manner, not
even by God's peculiar people, the jews ; and hot-
withft ending this power was manifested in a more

fenftble

iliujiraied. 12 7

feniible and conftant manner than ever it had been
before, dwelling in human flefh, and tabernacling,
or abiding, Tome conliderablc time among us ; fa
that his glory was beheld, or made viable to mor
tal eyes, and was full of grace and truth.

Rom. ix $. Whofe are the Fat her 's, and of whom,
as concerning the flejh, Ghrift came, who is over all
God blejjed for ever. This may with equal propriety
and truth be rendered, God, who is over all, be
blejjed for ever, the former fentence ending with
the word came; and fmce no ancient manufcripts
are pointed, all the pointings have been made, and
the different fentences have been diftinguifhed, as
fallible men have thought the beft fenfe required.
It affords an argument favourable to my conftruclio^
of thefe words, that it is ufual with the apoftie
Paul to break out into a doxology, or form of
thankfgiving to God, after mentioning any remark
able inftance of his goodnefs. See Eph. iii. 21 +
I Tim. i. 17. vi. 16. See alfo i Pet. iv. u. In
deed, it is very common in jewifh writings to add
a doxology after barely mentioning the name of
God.

i John v. 20. Andwe know that the Jen of God is
come, and bath given us an underftanding, that we may
know him that is true, and we are in him that is
even in his fan Jefui Chrift. This is the true
and eternal life. This laft claufe is manifeftly
explanatory of the tide him that is true, or the true

I- 2 8 Pajages of Scripture

cm, in the preceding claufes, of whom the Son or
God has given us an underftanding, or with whom
lie has made us acquainted. Ab the word even
is a mere addition of our tranflators, inftead of
we are In him that is true^ even in his Son *Jefus Chrift ^.
we may read, we are in him that is true, in or by-
his Son Jefus Chriil ; and this makes a far more
confident fenfe^and may be confide red as an allufion
to the words of Chrift addrefied to the Father, and
recorded by this very apoftle, John xvii. 3. This
is life eternal^ that they might know thee, the only
true God) and Jefus Chrift whom thou haft fent-
Without this interpretation, thefe two texts would
flatly contradict one another ; for how can the
Father be the enly true God^ if the fon be true
God aifo ?.

I Cor. i. 23, 24;. But we preach Chrijl cruci-~
fed^ unto the jews a /tumbling-block, and unto the:
greeks footijhnefs ; but unto them that are called^ both
jews and greeks^ Ghrift the power of God and th?
ivifdom of God. The meaning of this plainly is,,
that the power and wifclom of God were difplayed:
in this very circumftance of the crucifixion o£
Chrift, which was fuch a flumblino;-block, and
appeared fo foolifh to men ; agreeably to what
he immediately adds, fer the fooUflmefs of God is
vjifer than rnen^ and the weaknefs of God u Jlronger
than men. That which the jews and greeks had,
rejected, as foolifh and weak, was, in reality, and)

appeared:

illuft rated. 129

appeared to thofe who were called^ and who were
taught to underftand it better, to furpafs the
wifdom and power of man.

Tit. ii. 13. Looking for that bleffed hope^ and the
glorious appearance of tie great God^ and our Saviour
Jafus Chrijl. In this place God and Chrift are
mentioned as diftincl: pcrfons, the judgment of the
world being fometimesafcribed to the one, and fome-
times to the other; which is eafily accounted for by
confidering that, in that great day, Chrift acts by
commiffion from God, and will come in the glory
of his Father, and of the holy angels, as well as
in his own glory, upon that moft folemn occaflon.

John xx. 28. Thomas anfwered, and fald unto
bini) my Lord, and my God. This is an abrupt
exclamation, and no connected fentence at all, and
feeins to have proceeded from a conviction, fuddenly
produced in the apoftle's mind, that he who ftooci
before him was, indeed, his Lord and maftei*
raifed to life by the power of God. The refurrec-
tion of Chrift and the power of God had fo near
a connection, that a conviction of the one could
not but be attended with an acknowledgment of
the other ; and therefore they are frequently men
tioned together, the one as the cauje* and the other
as the effeft. Rom. i. 4. Declared to be the J "on
of God with poiver^ by ihe refureftlon from the dead*
Rom. vi. 4. Raifed from the dead by the glory of the
Father, x, 9, If thin jhcllt confsfs with thy mouth

tb*.

130 Pajjages of Stricture

the Lord J<fas9 and /halt believe with thine heart,
that God has raifed him from the dead, thou flialt
be faved. Here we plainly fee, that he only who
raifed Chrift from the dead is ftiled God, and not
Chrift, who was raifed by his power.

I Tim. vi. 13, &c. / give tbej charge in the
fight of God, who quickeneth ail things, and before
Jcfus Chrift, who before Pontius Pilate witncjjed a
good confejfisn, that ikon keep this commandment with
out f pot unrequitable, iintlll tie appealing of our Lo?d
Jejus Chrift, which, hi Us times, he frail fiew, who
is tie blcjjed and only potentate, the king cf kings,
and Lord of Lords; who only hath im/noi taliiy^
dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto,
whom no wan hath feen, nor can fee : to whom be
honour and power evzrlajting, amen. The meaning
of this pailage, as the conftrudHon cf the words in
the original inconteftibly p-oves, is as follows ;
which appearing, or fecond coming of Chrifl to
judge the world, he who is the biefFed and only
potentate, that ic, the only true God, the Father>
fhall fhew, or declare. And this exactly agrees
with whst our Lord himfelf fays, that the day and
hour of this his appearing was not known either
to the angels of God, or to himfelf, but to the
Father only ; and confequently he only could (hew,
or declare it. Befides, the very verfes I quoted above
fufficiently demonftrate, that the writer of them
coiiiidercd God and Chrift as diftinct pcrfons. /

charge

illuflrated* 1 3 1

/

charge thee in the fight of God and before 'Jefus Chrijl j
and how could h'j with truth fay of Chrift, that
no man had feen him or could fee him ?

Heb. i. 10. And ihou? Lord? in the beginning
bad laid the foundation of the earth, fcfr. As there
are feveral expreflions in the firft part of this chapter
which are not eafy to be underftood, I {hall give
a brief explanation of them all, in their order.
The great objection which the jews made to chrifti-
anity being the meannefs of ChrifPs appearance)
and the ignominious death that he differed ; to
obviate this, the author of this epiftle begins with
reprefenting the great dignity to which, for the
fuffering of death, Chrift is now exalted at the
right-hand of God. Having faid that God* in thcfe
la /I days i had fpoken to us by his Son, he immedi
ately adds, ver. 2. whom he hath appointed heir , or
Lord, of all things-, by ivhom alfo he made or ap»
pointed, not the material worlds? but the ages -,
that is, the prefent difpenfation of Go<i's govern
ment over mankind, which is eftablifhed by the
gofpel, the ad mini Oration of which is committed
to the Son : Who being the brightnefs of his (that
is, God's ) glory? and the exprefs image of his (that
is, God's) perfon? and upholding all things by the word
of his (that is, God's ) power? &c. fat down on
the right-hand cf the majefty on high. It is plain
from this paflagc, that whatever Chrift is, he is

by

1 32 Paffkgtl of Scripture

by divine appointment j whom he APPOINTED heir
of all things.

Afterwards this writer proceeds to prove that
Chrifr, is fuperior to angels, and at the clofe of this
argument he has thefe words, but concerning the
fon he fays, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and
ever; or, as it may be rendered, God is thy throne for
ever and ever ; that is,God will eftablifh the authority
of Chrift,'till time fhall be no more. Afceptre ofrigh-
teoufnefs is-the fceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hajl loved
righteoufnefs and kated iniquity ; therefore God, even
thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladnefs
above thy fellows. From this pafTage nothing can
be more plain, than that, whatever authority be
longs to Chrift, he has a fuperior, from whom
he derives it ; God, even thy God, has anointed thee*
This could never have been faid of the one true
God, whofe being and power are underivcd.

In verfes 10, II, 12. the apoftle quotes an
addrefs to God, as the great creator and everlafting
ruler of the univerfe, but without any hint of its
being applied to Chrifr, from Pfalm cii, 25. — 27.
And thou, Lord, in the beginning haft laid the founda
tion of the earth, and the heavens are the works of
thine hands. They JJoall perijh, but thou remalneft ;
find they all Jhall wax old as doth a garment, and as
a vejlure Jhalt thou fold them up, and they Jhall be
changed: but thou art the fa?ne, and thy years Jhall not
fail. This quotation was probably made with a
view to exprefs the great honour conferred on

Chrifr,

illujl rated. 13$

•Chrift, on account of the dignity of the perfon
who conferred it. For it immediately follows,
ver. 13. But to which of the angels faid he, that is,
the great being to whom this defcription belongs,
Sit thou on my right-hand until I make thine enemies
thy foot-ftool. Or, fince this quotation from the
pfalmift defcribes a perpetuity of empire in God,
it may be intended to intimate a perpetuity of
empire in Chrift, who holds his authority from
God, and who muft hold it, unlefs God himfelf
be unable to fupport it.

Acts xx. 20. Feed the church of God, which kg
has purchafed with his own blood. In the moft
ancient manufcripts this text is, Feed the church of
the Lord; which generally fignifies Chrift. Alfo
in fome copies it is, which he purchafed with blood ;
that is, the blood of his fon. As the blood of God
is .a phrafe which occurs no where elfe in the
fcriptures, we ought to be exceedingly cautious
how we admit fuch an expreflion. If Chrift was
God, his blood could not be his blood as God,
but as man.

VI. I fhall here introduce a few texts, which
are not reduceable to any of the above-mentioned
heads, being either interpolations, or mif-tranfla-
tions of the fcriptures, or having no relation to the
fubjecl-, in favour of which they have been
quoted.

M Mat.

3: 34 Pajfages of Scripture

Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye, therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father , and
of the fan, and of the holy ghofl. This form of
baptifm feems to be intended to remind chriftians
of the different parts which God, and Chrift,
and the holy fpirit, a£ted in the fcheme of man's
redemption; God fending his fon on this gracious
errand ; the fon faithfully performing the work
which God gave him to do, and being made head
over all things to the church; and the holy fpirit
confirming the word of truth by miraculous gifts.
But it is quite an arbitrary fuppofition, that,
becaufe they are mentioned together upon this
occafion, they muft be equal in all other refpe<5ts,
partaking of divinity alike, fo as to be equal in
power and glory. The apoftle Paul fays, I Cor.
x. 2. that the children of Ifrael were baptized unto
Mofes: but he certainly did not mean that Mofes
was their God.

Col. iii. 10. ^nd have put on the new man, which
is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him : where there is neither greek nor jew, cir-
cumcifion nor uncircumclfwn ; Barbarian, Scythian^
lond, nor free, but Chrtfl is all, and in all\ that
is, there is no other diftinction to be made now>
but only whether a man be a real chriftian.

i Cor. i. 2. With all that In all places call upon
the name ofjefus Chrifl, our Lord, both theirs and ours.

That

illujlrated* I' 3 5

That adoration, fuch as is due to the one living
and true God, was not meant by the apoftle in
this place, is evident from the very nex,t words 5, -
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father ,
and from the Lord Jefus Cbrlft ; where Chrift is
evidently fpokcn of as diftinct from God. It is
probable, therefore, that the apoftle meant nothing
more than fuch as call themfelves by the name ot
Chrift, or who profefted chriftian-ity.

Act vii. 59. And theyfioned Stephen, calling
upon God, and faying, Lord Jefusy receive my fpirit.
The word God is not in the original, as our tranf-
lators have figniRed, by thtir diiec^ing 'it to be
printed in the italic character, fo that this text
by no means implies that Stephen acknowledged
Chrift to be God, but only informs us, that Stephen
addrefled himfelf to Chrift, whom he had juft feen
in perfon, in a ftate of great exaltation and glory ;
as we read, ver. 55, 56. He, being full of the Holy
Ghoft*. hoked ft:dfajlly. into heaven, and jaw the glory
of God, andjejusjjandmp on the right-hand of God;
and faid, Behold, I fee the heavens opened, and the
fin of man flanding en the right-hand of God. This
very language clearly implies, that he coafidered the
[on of mm, and God, as diftinct perfons. .

The word, which is here and in I Cor. i. 2. ren
dered to call upon, is far from being appropiiated to
invocation, as peculiar to the divine Being. It is the
fame word that is rendered to appeal to, as when
M 2 Paul

1^6 Paffages of Scripture

Paul appeals to Caefar; and is ufed when a perfon is
faid to be called by any particular name ; as, Judas,
called Ifcariot, &c. The're can be no doubt, there
fore, but that it has the fame meaning both in I Cor.
i. 2, and alfo in Acts ix. 21. L not this be that de
ft royed them who called on this name In yernfalcm ? that
is, all who called themfelves chrtftians. It is fo ren
dered, James i. 7. Do they not blafpheme the worthy
Name by which ye are called? or, as it is more exactly
rendered, which is called^ orimpofed, upon you? that
is, by which ye are diftinguifhed. Had it implied
adoration^ it would at leaft have been which is called
upon by you.

i John v. 7. There are three that bear record in
beaver^ the Father , the Word^ and the Holy Ghofl j
and thefe three are om. Sir Ifaac Newton, and
others, have clearly proved that this verfe was no
part of John's original epiftle, but was inferted in
later ages. It is not to be found in any ancient
manufcript, and has been omitted in many printed
copies and tranflations of the new Teflamenl, at
a time when the dowlrine whjch it is fuppofed to;
contain was in a manner univerfally received. I fay
fuppofed to contain ', becaufe, in fa£ it exprefles no
more than that thefe three agree in giving the fame
teftimony, which is the only kind of union which
the Ji>irit, the water •, and the blcod^ in the verfe
following can have.

i Tim.

llluflraied. 137

I Tim. iii. 16. And without controverjy, great is
the myftery of godlinefs : God was manifejl in the
fefh, justified in the fpirit, feen of angels, preached
ur.to the gentiles^ believed on in the world, received up
into glory. Sir Ifaac Newton has fully demonftrated
that, in the original, this text was not GWmani-
feft in the fkfii, but who was mariifeft in the flefh,
and a very fmall alteration in the manner of writing
greek is fufficient for that purpofe. The oldeil
manufcript in the world, which I have examined
myfelf, has been manifeftly altered from the one
to the other, as appears by the difference in the
colour of the ink. Befides, it is even literally
true, that God was manifeft in the flefh of Chriit -3
fince he himfclf acknowledges, that the very words
which htfpake were not his own, but the Father's who
fcnt hi'ti',, and that the Father^ who was in him, did the
theivorks. It was therefore with the greateft pro
priety that our Lord faid, John viii. 19, If ye had
known ?ne, ye would have known my Father alfo^ the
wifdom and power of God being confpicuous in
him. They who will have this text to be a proof
of the godhead of Chrift, muil fuppofe him to be
the Father^ or the firft perfon in the trinity, and
net the Son^ or the fcccnd.

Zach. xiii. 7. Awake^ Ofword^ againft myjhepherd

and o.gainft the man thai is my fellow, faith the Lord of

fafts. So fr.ys our englifh verfipn, but the word in

the original fignifies a. perfon that is neary or joined

Ivi 2 ' in

138 PaJJages of Scripture

in neighbourhood to another, and, except this (ingle
text, it is every where rendered neighbour by our
tranflators.

Philip, ii. 5. &c. Let this mind be In you which
was alfo in Chrlfl Jefus, who being In the form of
God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but
made himjelf of no reputation ; — fFherejore God alfo

hath highly exalted him. That every tongue foould

fonfefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God
the father. The proper rendering of this text is,
JVho being in the form of God, did not think that
being equal to GW, or a ftate of equality with God,
was a thing to be feized (i. e. by him) but ?nade him-
felf of no reputation. This makes the whole pafiage
perfectly] uft and coherent, as a recommendation of
humility ; and alfo hints a fine contraft between the
conduct of Chrift, whom St. Paul elfewhere calls
the fecond Adam^ and the firfr, who is alfo faid to
have been made In the likenejs of God, but afpiring
to be as GWfell, and was puniflicd ; whereas Chrifr,
who had more of the likenefs or form ofGod^ on
account, of his extraordinary powers, not grafping
at any tiling higher, but humbling him felf, was
exalted. It is in this fenfe, or a fenfe Ilmilar to ir,
in which this very text is quoted by thofe fathers
of the chriftian church who wrote before the con-
troverfy about the divinity of Chrifl was ftarted^
In this manner, even feme who maintain the divi
nity of Chi lit render the wcrds. Thus, Father

Simon,

illuft rated. 339

Simon, who contends th?.t being in the form of
God is equivalent to being truly God, renders the
latter part of the verfe, did not imperioujly ajjume
to kimfelf an equality with God. Indeed the word,
but) which introduces the next verfe, evidently
leads us to expect fome contrail: between what goes
before and after it, which is very ftriking in the
manner in which I tranflate this text ; but it is al
together loft in our common verfion. L'cr he made
kimfelf equal to God, but humbled him f elf ^ is not even
fenfe. Laftly, I would cbferve that the word,
which is here rendered equal to, is alfo ufed to ex-
prefs a very high degree of refemblance, which it is
very certain that Chrift was'poffefled of with refpect
to God j and Dr. Do'Jdridge renders it, to be as
God.

VII. Chrift may be fuppofcd to have pre-exifted,
or to have had a being before he was born of the vir
gin Mary, without fuppofing him to be the eternal
God ; but it appears to me that the apofiles confl-
dered Chriit as being, with refpect to his nature^
truly and properly a man, confiding of the fame
conftituent parts, and of the fame rank with our-
felves, in all things like vnto his brethren ; and the
texts which are thought to fpeak of him as having
exifted before he came into this world, appear to me
to bear other interpretations very well. Some of
them have been explained in a difFcrent fenfe al
ready,

140 Kafftye* °f Scripture

?eady, and I {hall now endeavour to explain the
reft.

John viii. 56, &c. Tour father Abraham rejoiced
to fee my day, and he faw it, and was glad. Then
faid the jews unto him, Thou art not yet ffiy years
old) and haft thou fcen Abraham ? Jefu* fad unto
them, Verik, vcril\'y I fay unto you^ before Abraham
was I am. The meaning of this pafiage clearly is
that Abraham forefaw the day of Chrift, and that
Chrift was the fubjectof prophecy before the times
of Abraham. This faying of our Lord is alfo illuf-
trated by what the author of the epiftle to the He
brews fays concerning all the ancient worthies, viz,
that they all died in faith > not having received the pro-
mifes, but having fetn them afar off. In this manner,
therefore, Abraham vilfofaw the day of Chrift. Agree
ably to this it is eafy to explain John xvii. 5. Glo
rify me with the glory which I had with thee before the
world was, of the glory which was intended for him
in the councils of God before all time. Nay this
muft neceflarily be our Lord's meaning in this place ;
fmcein many other paflages the power and glory which
were conferred upon Chriit are exprefly faid to be the
reward of his obedience, and to be fubfequent to his
refurredtion from the dead. It is with peculiar pro
priety, therefore, that this requeft of our Lord follows
his declaration, that he had done the work for which
he was to receive the reward; ver. 4. 1 'have glorified
thee MI the earth, I have finijhed the work which thou

gavejl

illujlrated. 14*

gave/} me to do ; and now, O Father, glorify ikon nic^
&c. As the connexion of this prayer {hews that
whatever it was that our Lord requeited, it depended
upon the part which he had to act in the world, it is
plain that it could not be any thing which he had
enjoyed antecedently to his coming into it.

In the fame manner we may explain the follow
ing prophecy of Micah concerning Chrift, v. 2,
Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou le little
among the thoufands of Judah, yet out of ihce Jhall
he come forth unto me that is to be a ruler in Ifraely
whofe goings forth have been from of old, from ever-
lafting. For this may be underilood concerning the
promifes of God, in which the coming of Chrift was
fignified to mankind from the beginning of the world.
The Chaldce paraphrafe renders it, whofe name was
foretold of old.

As to thofe who think that our Lord meant to
intimate that he was truly and properly God becaufe
he ufes that expreffion / am, by which the true God
announced himfelf to Mofes, they will perhaps be
fenfible how little ftrefs is to be laid upon it, when,
they are informed, thut, though the fame phrafe oc
curs very often in the hiftory of Chrift, our tranfla-
tors themfelves, in every place excepting this, render
it by I am be, that is, I am the Chrift. It is ufed in
this fenfe in the 24-th verfe of this chapter, If ye be
lieve not that I am he, ye Jhall die in your fins* And
again,, in the 28th verfe, When ye Jhall lift up the fon

•f

142 PajTages of Scripture

of man , then jhall ye know that I am he. That the
words I am in this place do not mean the eternal
God, is manifeft from the words which are imme
diately connected with thefe ; then jhall ye know
that I am he> and that I do nothing of my y 'elf , but as
the Futh. r bath taught me, I fpeak thefe things.

John xvi. 28. I came forth from the Father , and
am come into the world ; again^ I leave the world) and
go unto the Father. In order to underftand this text,
it fhoitld be obferved, that by the world is not always
meant the material world^ and lead of all in the
difcourfes of our Saviour ; but the world considered
as a ftate oftrial, exercife and difcipline^ and efpeci-
ally the unbelieving and ungodly part of the world.
The world Jhall hate you^ John xv. 10. J pray not for
the worldy xvii. 9, &c. Our Saviour aifo fpeaks of
fending his difcipies into the world ; though, con-
fidered as a part of the material fyflem, they had
been in it long before. John xvii. 18. As thou haft
ftnt me into the world^ even fo aifo fend I them into the
world* Since, therefore, the miffion of Chrifr,, and
that of the apodles, are fpoken of in the very fame
words, and reprefented as commencing in the famd
manner, there can be no more reafon to fuppofe that
Chrift had a beino; before he came int the world,
than there is to fuppofe that the api-ftles h d pre-
exiued. Aifo when our Lord fays, John xvii. u.
Now I a?n no more in the wsrla, he could not mean
the material world : for, after his rcfurre&ion, he

was

illujhated. 143

feen by many, and even after his afcenfion he
was feen by Paul, if not by Stephen ; and he is
probably in this world at prefent, attending to the
affairs of his church ; and therefore may even be
literally with his difciples, upon important occafions,
even to the end of the world j and the notion of a local
heaven, above the clouds, is altogether fanciful.

John v. 13. No man hath afcended up to heaven, but
he that came down from heaven, even the fm of ?nan,
who is in heaven. This language is evidently figura
tive ; but if Chrift could be in heaven at the fame
time that he was on earth, coriverfmg withNicode-
mus, it is plain that his being faid to have come
down from heaven cannot neceiTarily imply that he
had ever been any where but on the earth. In fac\
the phraft-s being in heaven, being with God, or in the
bofom of God, &c. exprefs a ftate of very intimate
communication with God, fuch as qualified Chrift
to fpeak of heavenly things, as he exprefles himfelf
to Nicodemus, and to make his Father known to
us. John i. 8. No man hath feen God at any time : the
only-begotten fon^ which is in the bofom of the Father ,
he hath declared him.

The omniprefence, and confequently the proper
divinity of Chrift, could not be meant by his being
faid to be in heaven at the fame time that he was
vifible on earth, becaufe he is, on this occafion,
called the fon of man, which is always allowed to

denote

1 44 PaJfag€S °f Scripture

denote his humanity, and which certainly could not
be prefent in two places at the fame time.

John vi. 51. / am the living bread, which came
down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread^ he
jball live for ever, and the bread that I will give is
my flejh, which I ivill give for the life of the world.
Verily ) verily, I fay unto you, except ye eat the flejh of
the f on of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life
in you. By thefe and other expreflions of a fimilar
nature, our Lord ftaggered not only thofe who fol
lowed him for the fake of the loaves with which he
had fed them, but even many of his other difciples ;
and perceiving this, he fays unto them, ver. 61.
Doth this offend you, what and if ye Jball fee the fen
of man afcend up where he was before? It is the f pi
nt that quickeneth, the flejh profiteth nothing. The
words that I fpeak unto you, they are fpirit, and they
are life. In this our Lord feems to be reproving the
ftupidity of his difciples, in not underftanding that
by himfclf, and his flejh and blood, he meant his doc
trine ^ which came down from heaven. For if it
was his body that was to be of fuch benefit to man
kind, what would they fay if they mould fee it taken
from them, afcending into heaven, from whence
he had fpoken of its defcending to be the life of the
world ? They muft then be fatisfied that his flejh
could profit them nothing, and therefore muft con
clude that his doftrine muft have been the^/r//, and
the life, of which he fpake. Oi we may, perhaps,

underftand

illuft rated. 145

underftand our Saviour, in this place, as referring
to his afcenfion, which was an ocular proof of his
having had that intimate communication with God,
and having been fent of God concerning which he
had been fpeaking. Befides, if this paflage be inter
preted literally, it will imply that the body of Chri&
came from heaven, which is not pretended.

Col. i. 15. Who is the image of the invijible God^
tht firjl-born of every creature. For by him were all
things created^ that are in heaven^ and that are in
varthy "jlfible and inuifible^ whether they be thrones or
dominions^ or principalities^ or powers ; all things
were created by him^ and for him, and be is bsfore all
things^ and by him all things conjljl ; and he is the
head of the body, the church, who is the beginning^
the firjl -born from the dead ; that in all things he ml girt
lave the pre-eminence* For it pkafed the Father^ that
in him ftjould attfulnefi dwell.

In this pafTage we have a view given us of the

great dignity and dominion to which Chrift is ex-

^ited by his Father, and of the great and happy

change that was maije in thjs world by his gofpel ;

for by creation we are to-trhderftand the new creation^

or renovation^ in which fenfe the fame word is ufed

by the apoflle, when he fays, We are his workman-

Jblp created in Chrift J<fas unto good ivorks. Eph. ii.

10. So great a change is produced in the world,

in the tempers and conducl: of men by the gofpel,

that both the terms creation and regeneration are made

N ufe

146 PaJ/ages of Scripture

ufe of to exprefs it. Verily verily, I fay unto tbee^
except a man be born again be cannot fee the kingdom
of God, John iii. 3. fo that by regeneration, or new
creation, we are to underftand a new-modeling, or
neiu-conftituting. We (hall fee lefs harfhnefs in this
figure, when we confider, that what is called the
Mofaic creation was probably fimilar to this ; fince,
for any thing we know, it was only the re-making
or re-conftituting of the world, out of a former chaos.

There are feveral pafiages in which the words,
which we generally render to create, or creation,
fignify only a renewal or rfftaration. Eph. ii. 10.
To make in himfelf^ of twain, one new man, fo mak
ing peace. 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Chrijl he
is a new creature. In i Pet. ii. 13. the fame word
is rendered ordinance. Be ye fubjefl to every ordinance
of man for the Lord's fake. The places in which the
influence of the gofpel is termed a new creation are
illuftrated by the following prophefy of Ifaiah, iri
which it is defcribed in the fame language, If. Ixv.
17, &c. Bebold, I create new heavens and a new
earth, and the former Jhall not be remembered, nor
come into mind. But be ye glad, and rejoice for ever in
that which I create ; for behold, I create Jerufalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy.

The word all muft necefTarily refpecl: the fubject
concerning which the affirmation is made, and be
limited by it. Thus when all the world is faid to be
taxed, Luke ii. i. it is plain that nothing but the

Roman

illujl rated. 14,7

Roman empire could be underftoocl. In like man
ner, when all things are faid to be created by Chrifr,
or for him, and alfo when all things are faid to be
Jubjecl to him, or put under his feet, nothing can be
meant but fuch things as can properly come under
his government as the MeiTiah, and be fubfervient
to him in the conduct of it, including probably the
vifible powers and kingdoms of this world, and the
mvifible admiiiiftration of angels ; and therefore the
apoftle, with great propriety, concludes and fums
up the whole of Chrift's authority, by faying that
he is the head of the body the church.

Before often fignifies before in point of rank, and
pre-eminence , and not in point of time ; fo that
when Chrift is faid to be before all things, the mean
ing is, that he is the chief, or moft excellent of all.
And when it is faid that In him all things confift, we
are to underfland that in him all things are com-'
pieted, and compacted ; fince the chriftian difpen-
fation is the lad, and moft perfect of all, compleat-
ing one great and regular fcheme of revelation,
continually advancing from the more imperfect to
the more perfect. I would further obferve that the
things here faid to be created by Chrift are not
material things, as the heaven and the earth, but
things in heaven and earth, as thrones, principali
ties, &c. and therefore are naturally interpreted, of
that power and dignity to which he is advanced, and
N 2 which

6f Strip tier g

which is denoted by God's giving him all power In
heaven and on earthy after his refurre&ion.

We fhall have a clearer understanding of this
paflage in the epiftJe to the Coloffians, if we com
pare it with a parallel paflage in the epiftle of the
fame apoftle to the Ephefi&ns, i. 17, &c. That the God
ff our Lord Jefus Chrifl, the Father of glory, may

give you the fpirit of wifdom, that ye may know -

the exceeding greatnefs of his poiver,— ~— -which he
wrought in ChriJ} Jefus w/xn he raifed him from the
dead, andfet hi?n at his own right-hand in the heavenly
places, far afave all principality ', and power, a?id
mighty and dominion, and every name that is named^
not only in this world, but alfo in that which is to come ;
and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him ta
be the head over all things to the church, which is hi$
body, thefullnefs of him that file th all in all. In this
paflage we fee mofl clearly that all the power and
authority to which Chrift is advanced is fubfequent
to his refurreclion.

The origin and extent of the power of Chrifl are

alfomoftdiftinaiy expreflfcd, Phil. ii. 8. II.

He humbled himfelf, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the crofs ; wherefore God alfo hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name, that at the name of Jefus every
knee Jhould bow, of things in heaven^ and things in
and things under the earth ; and that every

tongue

ittujtrated. 149

tongue Jhould confefs that Jefus Cbriji is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.

To the fame purpofe alfo, i Pet. i. 20, 21. Wh»
(Cbrift) verily was fore-ordained before the foundation
of the worlds but was manifejl in thefe loft times for
you, who by him do believe in God? that raifed him
up from the dead, and gave him glory , that your faith
and hope might be in God. I (hould think it hardly
poflible to read this fmgle paflage with attention,
and not fee that the writer of it confidered Chrift
as a being diftincl: from God, and fubordinate to
him ; that all his glory was fubfequent to his re-
furre&ion ; and alfo, that, though he was fore
ordained before the foundation of the world, he was
not manifefted) or brought into being, 3 'till thefe la ft
times, orthofe of the gofpel.

There are fome other pafiages in the New Tefta-
ment, which are fimilar to thofe which I have quoted
above, and may ferve to illuflrate them, John xvi.
15. All things that the Father hath are mine, xvii.
10. All mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am
glorified in them. I Cor. viii. 6. To us there is but
sne God, the Father, of whom are all things, and
we in him ; and one Lord, Jefus Chrift, by who?n are
all things, and we by him.

That there is nothing, in any of the paflages

which I have now quoted, that implies any proper

divinity in Chrift, is fufficiently evident, even

without the addition of fuch exprefiions as dire&ly

N 3 afl.ert

150 PaJJagtf of Scripture

aflert the contrary ; as when the apoftle Paul fays,
that to us ihere is one God> even the Father ; and our
Saviour calls his Father the only, true God, To fignify
that the authority of Chrift is not underived, like
that of God -f and at the fame time to inform us
from whence it does proceed^ the apoftle fays, that
it pleafed the Father ', that in him Jhould all fullnefo
dwell. In the very fame Language our Saviour fpeaks
of his difciples, Fear not, little flock, it is the Father* $
goodplsafure to give you the kingdom.

V. OF THE DOCTRINE OP ATONEMENTS

THE death of Chrift being an event of the
greateft confequence to the end of his coming into
the world, and being, at the fame time,, the great
/tumbling- block both to the jews and the gentiles,,
who could not eafily reconcile themfelves to the-
notion of a Buffering faviour^ it is no wonder that
the writers of the New Teftarnent fpeak much of
it, and reprefent it in a great variety of lights,, and
afpecially fuch as would' appear the moft favourable
to the chriftian cony-erts. La this^ cafe we natu
rally expect bold comparifons and alluficnSy efpe-
cially confidering how much more figurative is the
ftyle of the books of fcripture,. and indeed of all
oriental writings, than ours. But in whatever
tights the facred writers reprefent the death of

Chrift,,

llhjlrated. 151

Chrift, there is refemblance enough fufficiently to
juftify the representation, at the fame time that
this event being compared to fo many things , and
things of fuch different natures, proves that the
refemblance in all of them is only in certain re~
fyeftS) and that they differ confiderably in others.

For example, the death of Chrift is compared
to a facrifice in general, becaufe he gave up his
life in the caufe of virtue and of God, and more
efpecially a facrifae for Jin , becaufe his death and
refurre&ion were neceflary to the confirmation of
that gofpel, by which finners are brought to re
pentance, and thereby reconciled to God. It is
called a curfe^ becaufe he died in a ftate of fuf*
penfion,. which was by the jews appropriated to
thofe perfons who were confidered as reprobated by
God ; and it is called a paf/aver^ becaufe it may be
confidered as a fign of our deliverance from the
power of fin, as the paffover among the jews was
a fign of their deliverance from the egyptian
bondage. It is alfo called a r-anfom^ becaufe we
are delivered by the gofpel from fin and mifery^
On the fame account, he is faid by his death to
bear, or take away our fins ', fines his gofpel delivers.
us from the power of fin, and consequently from
the punifhment due to it.

Thefe are all bold, but figriificant figures of
fpeech, the death of Chrift really correfpond ing to
them all to a cert ai a degree, but they differ fo very

widely

Pajjagts of Scripture

widely from one another, that no one thing can1
correfpond to any of them throughout ; for then it
muft exclude all, or at lead moft of the reft. The
fame thing, for inftance, could not be a curfe, and'
a facrifice ; becaufe every thing accurfed was con-
fidered as an abomination in the fight of God, and
could never be brought to the altar ; and the killing
of the pafchal lamb was a thing eilentially different
from a facrifice for fin.

Thefe obfervations appear to me to be a fuffi-
cient guide to the interpretation of all the language
of the New Teftament refpe&ing the death of
Chrift, without fuppofing that it had any proper
influence upon God, fo as to render him propitious
to his offending creatures, or that it made it con-
fiftent with the divine juftice to forgive the fins of
mankind j which is contrary to a thoufand plain
and exprefs declarations of fcripture, which re-
prefent God as being eflentially, and of himfelf,
merciful and gracious, without the leaft refer
ence] to any other being or agent whatever, and
as forgiving freely, and gratuitoufly, upon our
repentance and amendment, without any other
atonement or fatisfa£Hon. I fhall therefore con
tent myfelf with reciting a few of the paiTages in
which the death of Chrift is reprefented in thefe
feveral lights.

Eph. v. 2. Chrifl alfo has loved us, and given btm-
J elf for us, an offering and a facrifae to God, of a

fweet

illuftrated. 153

fweet-fmelling favour •, Heb. vii. 27. 7^0 needed not
dally to offer facrifce, firft for his ownftnsy and then
for the people. For ibis he did once> when he offered
up himfelf. With the fame idea he fays, ix. 22.
And without foedding blood there is no remijflon.
This view of the death of Chrift occurs pretty
frequently in this epiftle to the Hebrews, but not
more than about half a dozen times in all the other
books of the New Teftament ; the principal of
which is i John ii. i. And he is the propitiation for
our fins '. But if the great objecl: of the death of
Chrift was the eftabiifhment of that religion by
which the world is reformed, in confcquence of
which the divine being is rendered propitious to
them, how natural is it to reprefent his death as a
facrifce to God, for that great purpofe? Befides,
facrifices for fin under the law of Mofes are never
confidered as ftanding in the place of the finner 5
but as the people were never to approach the dU
vine prefence, upon any occafion, without fomc
offering, agreeably to the ftanding and univerfal
cuftom of the Eaft, with refpecl: to all fovereigns
and great men, fo no perfon after being unclean
(which not only moral guilt, but a number of
things abfolutely indifferent to morality were fup-
pofed to render a man) could be introduced to the
tabernacle or temple fervlce, without an offering
proper to the occafion.

This

Paffages of Scripture

This idea may explain 2 Cor. v, 21. He made
him Jin for us who knew no fm^ that we might be
made the righteoufnefs of God in him -, becaufe by fin
in this place may perhaps be underftood a fin- of
fering. Or it may correfpond to Rom. viii. 3.
What the law CQuld not doy in that It was weak?
through the flcjh^ God fending his own f on in the like-
nefs of finful flsjh^ and for fin (on account of 'fin , or
on the bufmefs of 'fin , i. e. to deftroy and take it
away) condemned fin in the flejh. In this cafe, the
fenfe of the pafTage will be, that Chritl was made,
not /?«, but in the likenefs of finful flefo^ that is, he
was made a man for our fakes.

Many perfons are carried away by the found of
the word redemption , as if it necefiarily implied
that, mankind being in a ftate of bondage, a price-
muft be paid for their freedom, and that the death
of Chrift was that price. But the word which we
render redemption fignifies only deliverance in gene
ral, in whatever manner it be effected, and it is
frequently fo rendered by our translators. Belong
ing to this clafs of texts are the following, Matt.
xx. 28. Mark x. 45. The fon of man came not to be
min'iftered unto, but to minijler, and to give his life a
ranforn for many. I Tim. ii. 8. Who gave himfelf
a ranfom for all.

In order to judge of the meaning of this expref-
fion, let the preceding pafTages be compared with,
the following, in which the fame Greek word is

ufed,

Migrated. 155

ufed, Luke xxiv. 21. We trufled that it had been
he who Jhould have deliver ed, or (as it might have
been tranflated) redeemed I fraeL In this cafe, the
difciples certainly meant a deliverance, or redemp
tion, from a ftate of fubje6tion to the Romans,
which they could not fuppofe was to be effected by
purchafe^ but by the exertion of wifdom and power.
Luke i. 68. He has vtfited9 and redeemed his people ;
which is explained in ver. 71, by a deliverance from
our enemies^ and from the hands of all that hate us.
In Acts vii. 35. Stephen ftiles Mofes a ruler and
deliverer^ or redeemer , but what price did he pay
for their redemption ? In the Old Teftament alfo
God is frequently faid to have redeemed Ifrael from
the hand of the Egyptians ; but he certainly did
not redeem them by paying any price for their re
demption, and much lefs by becoming a bondman
in their place, but, as it is often exprerTed, he re
deemed or delivered them, with an high hand and
an out flr etched arm. So alfo may Chrift be faid to
redeem, or deliver from fin, viz. by his precepts,
by his example, and by the precious promifes of
his gofpel ; by the confideration of which we are
induced to forfake fin,

Strefs has been laid upon the word for in the
above-mentioned paflages, as if Chrift dying aran-
fom for all neceffarily implied that he died in the
ftead, or in the place^ of all ; but the fame word has
other fignifkations, as becaufey and fo it is ren
dered

1 56 Pajfages cf Scripture

dered Luke i. 20. Becaufe thou haft not believed my
luord. Heb. xii. 2. Who/0r, or becaufe of the joy
that ivasfet before him. It alfo fignifies on the behalf \
or on tin account of, as Mat. xvii. 27. "That takey
and give them for thee and me , that is, on the account
9f) not infteadofmz and thee. So Chrift died, and
gave his life a ranfom, not inftead of many, but on
the behalf of many^ or for their benefit.

Much ftrefs has alfo been laid on Chrift being
faid to bear the fins of mankind', as if they had been
afcribed or imputed to him, and he had taken them
upon himfelf, and fuffered the wrath of God for
them. If. liii. u. He Jhall bear their iniquities.
I Pet. ii. 24. Who his own felf bare our fins in his
ewn body, on the tree. Heb. ix. 28. So Chr'ijl once
fuffered) to bear the fins of many.

Thefe, I think, are all the places in which this
particular view of the death of Chrift occurs. But
beilde the manifeft injuftice, and indeed abfurdity,
of an innocent perfon being punifhed for one that is
guilty, the word does not fignify to bear or take
upon another, but to bear away, or to remove^ by
whatever means ; fo that the texts above-mentioned
correfpond to, I John iii. 5, 6. And ye know that
he was manifift fo take away fin , and In him was no
fin.

The phrafe bearing fin is never applied in the Old
iFeftament, but to the fcape-goat, which was not
-fecriiked, but turned loofe in the wildernefs, to

fignify

itlttflrated. 157

fignify the removal of the fins of the people, which
God had freely forgiven, to a place where they
fhould never more be heard of. The goat itfelf,
which was emblematically faid to bear their fins,
fuffered nothing in confequence of it ; but, as its
name imports, was fuffered to efcape, or was let
loofe. Perhaps the fending away of the fcape-goat
was intended for a monitory fign to the people, that
they fhould ceafe to commit thofe fins which had
been fo folemnly confeffed over him, and which he
was faid to bear away into a land offeparation. See
Levit. xvi. 22. in the margin.

The evangelifl Matthew had, mod evidently,
this idea of the meaning of the paflage in Ifaiah,
when he applied it upon the occafion of Chrift's
healing the bodily difeafes of men, viii. 17. For
he fays that he performed thefe cures, that it might
be fuJfilled which ivas fpoken by the prophet Ifaiah,
Himfelf took our infirmities^ and bare our ficknejjes.
Now how did Chrift bear the bodily difeafes which
he cured ? Not, furely, by taking them upon
hirnfelf, and becoming difeafed, as the poor wretches
themfelves had been ; but by removing them by his
miraculous power. In like manner Chrift bears,
or takes away fin in general ; not by fuffering him-
fclf to be treated as a fmner, but removing it, by
the doctrines and motives of his gofpel. Agreeably
to this, when Peter had faid, IPbo his own felf bare
our fins in his own body on the tree, he explains his
O meaning

158 Paflages of Scripture

meaning in the words next following ; that we9
being deadtofm, might live unto righteoufnefi.

Chrift is faid to die a curfe for us in Gal. Hi. 10,
Chrift has redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being
made a curfe for us ; as it is written^ Cur Jed is every
one that hangeth on a tree. Now it is proper enough
to fay, that Chrift died a curfe, becaufe the man
ner of his death was fimilar to that by which thofe
who were deemed curfed under the law were put to
death. But if by accurfed we mean lying under the
difpleafure of God, this was fo far from being the
cafe with refpecl to Chrift and his death, that irr
this very circumftance he was the object of the di
vine approbation, and complacency in the higheft
degree; as he himfelf fays. For this reafon does my
Father love me, becaufe I lay down my life : and it is
a general obfervation in the fcriptures, that precious
in the fight of God is the death of his faints.

Chrift is called a Pajfover in i Cor. v. 7. Chrift
cur PaJJovcr is facrificed for us : and this view is alfo
alluded to when it is faid, a bone of him Jhall not
be broken. The reafon of this view of the death of
Chrift w\s fufficiently intimated before.

As a proof that Chrift took our fins upon him,
and that we, on the ether hand, are juftffied by
the imputation of his righteoufnefs to us^ fome alledge.
Jer. xxiii. 56. And this is the name whereby he Jhall
be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. But,
according to the method of interpreting fcripture*

names,

ill aft rated. 159

names, explained above, all that we can infer from
this text is, that God will be our Righteoufnefs,
or receive, us into his grace and favour by means of
Chrift, or by the gofpel of Chrift. That we muft
underftand this text -in fome fuch fenfe as this, is
evident from the fame name being afterwards ap
plied to Jerufalem. Jer. xxxiii. 16. This is the
name wherewith Jhe Jhall be called, THE LORD OUR
RIGHTEOUSNESS : for certainly it cannot be thought
that the merits of Jerufalem are imputed to man
kind.

Many divines, finding them.felves obliged to give
up the notion of Chrift's fufFei ing in our Jhady and
our being juftified by his righteoufnefs, as contrary
to the genuine fenfe of the fcriptures, alledge, how
ever, that God forgives the fins of mankind en ac
count of the merit of Cbrijt, and bis inter cejjwnpr us -,
and this opinion, like the former, is favoured by
the literal fenfe of a few paffages of fcripture : but
it is contrary to the general and plain tenor of it,
which reprefents all acls of mercy as proceeding
from the effential placability and goodnefs of God
the Father only. Befides, there are many paflages
in the Old Teftament in which God is reprefenteci
as forgiving the Ifraelites, and receiving them into
his favour, on the account of Abraham, Ifaac, and
Jacob; and their pofterity plead the merit of thefe
their religious anceflors in their prayers. God is
a]fo reprefented as ready to forgive the people of
O 2 Sodom

160 PaJJages of Scripture

Sodom at the intercefiion of Abraham. Admitting,
therefore, that God may grant favours to mankind
at the interceffion of Chrift, this is not a pri
vilege peculiar to Chrift, but is common to him
and other good men who went before him ; fo that
the general fyftem^ of the forgivenefs of fin, can by
no means depend upon the merit and interceffion of
Chrift only.

The following paffages feem to reprefent the di
vine being as difpenfing mercy to mankind on the
account of Chrift, i John ii. 12. Becaufe your Jins
are forgiven you for his name's fake. Rom. viii. 34.
Who alfo maketh interceffion for us, I Cor. vi. 3. But
ye are jujlified in the name of the Lord Jefus. Heb.
vii. 25. He ever livetk to make inter cejjionj or them.

But let thefe pafTagcs be compared with the fol
lowing from the Old Teftamenr, Gen. xxvii. 24.
Fear not^ / am with thee, and will blefs thee, and mul
tiply thy feed,, for my fervant Abraham* s fake. Mofes,
pleading in behalf of the Ifraelites, fays, Exod.
xxxii. 13. Remember Abraham-^ and Ifaac, and
Jfracl^ thyfervants, Deut. xix. 27. Remember thy
fervantS) Abraham and Ifaac and Jacob. Look n&t
to the Jlubbornnefs of this people, nor to their Jin.
There are many other pafTages to the fame purpofe
with thefe.

It muft alfo be obferved, that in the name of Chrift >
which occurs in fome of the abovementioned pafTages,
means as Chrift ', or in the place of Chrift. Thus our
Lord fays, Many fi all come in my name, that is, pre
tending

illujlrtted. 16 1

tending to be what I am, the Mefliah ; and again,
the comforter i whom the Father Jhall fend In my name,
that is, in my place^ as it were, to fucceed me in his
kind offices to you. Praying^ therefore, in the
name of Chrijl may mean, in allufion to this fenfe
of it, praying with the temper and difpofition of
Chrift, or as becomes chriftians, thofe who follow
the directions of Chrift, both with refpecl: to prayer,
and every other duty of the chrifUan life. So alfo
"being jujlified in the name of Chrijl may fignify our
being juftified, or approved of God, in confequence
of our being chriftians, in deed and in truth, having
the fame mind that was alfo in Chrift Jefus.
Agreeably to this, the apoflle Paul exhorts us to put
en Chrijl^ as if it were to appear like him, the very
fame perfon.

If the pardon of fin had univerfally depended
upon the advocatejhip of Chrift only, it can hardly
be fuppofed that the fpirit would have had that name
given to him, and efpecially by way of eminence,
and diftinction ; for the word which we render com
forter is the fame that is rendered advocate in
I Joh,n ii. i. We have an advocate with the Father t
Jefus Chrijl the righteous. The fpirit is alfo faid to
intercede for us, Rom. viii. 26. Tbs. fpirit itfelf
rnaketh inter cejjion for us.

Befides, the paflages in which any regard is fup
pofed to be had to the merit or intercefnon of Chrift,
in difpcnfmg mercy to finncrs, are exceedingly few,
O 3 in

PaJJages of Scripture

in comparifon with thofe which reprefent this^/m?
gift, as proceeding from God only ; and in fome of
them we are mifled by our tranflation, as in Eph»
iv. 39. And be ye kind to one another ^ tender-hearted^
forgiving one another^ even as God, for Chrift' *s fake,
has freely forgiven you. It ought to have been
rendered as God in Chrijl, that is, in the gofpel of
Ghrift, has forgiven you. Befides, the word which
is here renderedy0rgri'£ fignifies conferring favours in
general, and not the forgivenefs of fin in particular;
and the whole pafiage was intended to inculcate a
benevolent difpofition, in imitation of God, who
had conferred the moft valuable favours upon man
kind, in the gofpel of Chrift.

Many pafTages in which we are faid to be juflified
by faith, and not by the works of the law, were
intended to oppofe the doctrine of the jews, who
maintained that the obfervance ef the law of Mofes
was abfolutely neceffary to falvation. Writing
upon this fubjecl, the apoftle Paul expreffes him-
felf in the following manner, Rotn. iii. 21, &c.
But now the righteoufnefs ef God^ without the law, is<
manifejled^ being witnejfed by the law and the prophets^
even the righteoufnefs of GW, which is by faith of
'Jefus Ghrift) unto all and upon all that believe^ for
there is no difference. For all have finned, and come
fiort of the glory of God, being juftified freely by bis
gracey through the redemption that is in Chrijl Jefus ;.
whom God has Jet forth to be a propitiation, through

faith

illuflrated. 163

faith in bis blood, to declare his right e^ufnefs^ for the
remijjton of fins that are paj}> through the forbearance
of God; to declare , 1 fay> at this time, his righteouf-
fiefs, that he might be juft, and the jujlifier of him that
believeth in Jefus. Where is boafting then ? It is ex
cluded. By what law ? of works ? nay, but by the
law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is
juftified by faith) without the deeds of the law.

If we confider the whole of this pafTage, and
the connexion in which it {lands, we fhall be
fatisfied, that the apoftle is here aflerting that, in
the gofpel of Chrift, which was confirmed by his
death and refurrecYion, the divine being, as from
a mercy -feat (which the word ought to be rendered,
and not propitiation) declares his goodnefs and mercy
to mankind ; and fmce the patriarchs, who believed
and obeyed before the law, were juftified without
the works of the law, fo God, acting flill upon
the fame maxims, is jufl, and the jews have no
reafon to complain of it, when he juftifies fmners"
who believe and obey, freely, and -without the works
of the law of Mofes^ under the gofpel.

N. B. I do not pretend that this pamphlet con
tains an illuftration of all the texts that have been
urged in favour of the doctrines v/hich are contro
verted in the Appeal ; for then I muft have written
a commentary upon the whole bible ^ as there is
hardly a text in which fome perfons do not imagine
that they fee their awn peculiar fentiments; but I

think

164 A P R A Y E R.

think I have taken notice of all that can well be
faid to be of much confluence. If any confiderable
omiffion be pointed out to me, it fhall be fupplied
in future editions.

A PRAYER,

RESPECTING THE PRESENT STATE OF
CHRISTIANITY.

n

ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, and
efpecially the Father of lights^ and the fountain of
all wifdoin and knowledge ; we thank thee that thou
haft put a fpiri-t in man, and that thine infpiration
givetb us under/landing-, that, being formed after
thine own image, we find ourfelves poffefied of a
nature fuperior to that of brute creatures; and'
being endowed with the faculty of reafon are
capable of inveftigating important truth, and of
governing our conduct, fo as to attain to very,
dirringuifhed degrees of excellence and happinefs.

We thank thee that, in aid of this light of nature^.
thou haft fuperadded the gift of revelation , having,,
from time to time, communicated to-mankind, by
thy fervants the prophets, the morV ufeful infor
mation, concerning thy nature, perfections and
government, concerning our duty here, and our
expectations hereafter* And we more efpecially

rejoicq

A P R A Y E R. 165

rejoice that, upon every occafion of thy gracious
intercourfe with mankind, thou haft reprefented
thyfelf to us as the proper object of our reverence^
love, and confidence ; as a being cf boundlefs
goodnefs, and the greateft companion to thofe
frailties and infirmities, to which it has feemed
good to thy wifdom to fubject us; as one who
expected no more of us than thou haft enabled us
to perform ; and who, upon our fmcere return to
our duty, art ever ready to extend the freeft mercy
and forgivenefs towards us, even after our moft
aggravated and repeated offences.

We thank thee, more efpecially, for thelaftand
moft perfect revelation of thy will to mankind, in
the gofpelof Jefus Chrift, in whom it hath pleafed
thee, that all fulncfs Jkould dwell ; who has
eftabliihed upon the fureft foundations, the great
and important doctrines of the proper unity and
mercifulnefs of thy nature, and thy unrivalled y«^r*-
macy with refpect to himfelf, as well as to all other
beings, and all other things ; and who has likewife
given to us the moft fatisfactory afTurance of a
refurredtion from the dead, confirmed to us by his
own death and refurredtion j whereby we are en
couraged to expect, that, becaufe he lives, we fhall
live alfo.

It has feemed good to thy unfearchable wifdom,
(which permits the rife and continuance of evil, in
order, we doubt not, to bring about the greateft

good)

1 66 A P R A Y E R.

good) that this moft excellent religion, fo honour
able to thee and fo beneficial to mankind, fhould,
by means of the bafe artifices of fome, and the
general Ignorance which lately overfpread the world,
become grofsly corrupted ; whereby fuch opinions
have prevailed among the profeflbrs of chriftianity,
as greatly difhonour thy nature, imply the in oft
unjuft reflections on thy righteous moral govern
ment, and are highly injurious to the virtue and
happinefs of men. How has the gold become dim,
how is the mod fine gold changed !

The great and important doctrine of thy divine
unity has been generally abandoned, and objects of
fupreme worfhip multiplied. Thy mefienger and
fervant, the meek and humble Jefus, who, upon
all occafions, referred his vvifdom and mighty works
to thee, his God and Father, fpeaking and acling
by him, has been advanced to proper equality with
thyfelf; and even his mother, Mary, and innu
merable faints and angels, have likewife, been ad-
drefied, as if they were omniprefent beings. By
thus dividing thy being, robbing thee of thy
efTential attributes and perfections, and dirtributing
them among a multiplicity of inferior beings, de
praved and unworthy notions of thy moral character
have confequently prevailed, and many of the evils
of Idolatry have been introduced among the pro
feflbrs of that religion, which acknowledges but

one

A P R A Y E R. 167

one living and true 6W, even thee our Father in
heaven, and one mediator, the man Chrift Jefus.

Having diverted thee, in their imaginations, of
the mod amiable of all thy attributes, even the
efiential placability of thy nature, they have repre-
fented thy free mercy to penitent finners as purchafed
by the blood of thy innocent fon. Forgetting that
thou art good to all, and that thy tender-mercies
are over all thy works, and alfo that thcu, the
righteous Lord, loveft righteoufnefs, they have
afcribed to thee an arbitary and unreafonable par
tiality in favour of fome of the human race, and
a moft cruel and unjuft fe verity towards others, as
condemning them to everlafting torments for
crimes of which they could not be guilty, and ex
pecting of them that which thou hadft not enabled
them to do. And, having loft the idea of the
purity of thy nature and thy regard to moral righte
oufnefs, as the only juft ground of acceptance and
favour with thee, they have had recourfe to un
meaning and even bafe and mifchievous fuperftitions
as compenfations for their non-obfervance of thy
holy commandments.

To confirm all thefe, and innumerable other
corruptions of thy holy religion, fupreme authority
has been openly ufurped by men over that church,
in which thou haft given all power to our Lord and
mafter Jefus Chrift ; and thofe of thy faithful fer-
y who have juftly rcfufed to fubmit to their

ufurpations

168 A P R A Y E R.

ufurpations, have by them been fubje&ed to the
greateft hardfhips, and even perfecuted unto death ;
fo that tiiefe temporal antichriftian powers are drunk
with the blood of thy holy martyrs.

We deeply lament this almoft univerfal departure
from the true faith of thy fon's gofpel, the flop that
has by this means been fo long put to the propaga
tion of chriftianity among jews, mahomedans, and
heathens, and the prevalence which it has occafi-
oned of infidelity and profanenefs in chriftian coun
tries.

But we thank thee, who, in thine own due time,
wilt, we doubt not, bring light out of all darknefs,
and order out of all confufion, that, in feveral
chriftian countries, many of thefe corruptions and
abufes have been reformed, and that antichriftian
tyranny is every where giving place to the power
of truth, and the juft liberties of mankind, in
thinking and acting for themfelves in all matters of
religion.

For thefe great and invaluable bleflings we are,
under thee, indebted to the ftrenuous labours of
thy faithful fervants, who have not accounted even
their lives dear unto them j but, for the love of
thy truth, have renounced all worldly advantages,
boldly aflerting their chriftian liberty, and holding
themfelves accountable to none but thee, the fole
and immediate lord of confcience, and to the great

fhepherd

A P R A Y E R. 169

fhepherd and bifhop of fouls, acting by commiiliou
from thee, Jefus Chrifr.

We adore the wifdom of thy providence in bring
ing about the refloration of ufeful learning, and
making it fubfervient to the reformation of thy
church; fo that thy fervants, having recovered the
genuine, but long-forgotten fenfe of the fcriptures,
were able to difcover the falfe grounds of the
reigning fuperftition, and of the ecclefiaftical
tyranny of their times. Grant that, by a con
tinued and diligent ftudy of the fame word of thy
truth, we may, in due time, be led to the full dif-
covery of every remaining corruption of our holy
religion, and be brought to receive the whole truth
in the love thereof.

Haften, we intreat thee, the approach of that

glorious time when, according to the faithful anct

true writings of thy fervants the prophets, our holy

religion fhall recover its primitive purity and

efficacy ; when thou alone, as the only true God,

a being of perfect rectitude, fpotlefs purity, and

eflentialgoodnefs and mercy, (halt be the object of

fupreme wormip ; when thy creatures of mankind

fhall have recourfe to no method of rendering them«

felves acceptable to thee, but unfeigned repentance

for their trangreflions of thy laws, and a fmcere

endeavour to conform to them for the future^ in a

courfe of upright intentions and worthy actions,

through the whole of their lives j and when no

P apprehenfica

iyo A P R A Y E R.

apprehenfion of arbitrary decrees fhall alarm the
fears of the humble, or encourage the prefumption
of the confident.

Difpofe all who profefs the chriftian name to ftudy
the fcriptures of truth with unprejudiced minds ;
and infpire all thofe who attain to the truth with a
iuft zeal for the propagation of it, as far as thy
providence fhall give them ability and opportunity
to do it. May neither the love of popular applaufe,
of filthy lucre, or any worldly advantage ; may
neither the fear of man, of reproach, or of death,
be a fnare to them, in this work of Jove ; and may
they daily rejoice in the teftimony of their con-
fciences, and in the happy fruits of their pious and
affiduous labours.

May all thofe powers of this world, which have
ufurped any authority belonging to our only right
ful lord and king in kis church, become difpofed to
relinquim their unjuft claims -, and may thofe kings
and princes, who will not acknowledge the fove-
reignty of Jefus in his church, and especially thofe
who obftinately oppofe the reformation of it, be
utterly confounded, and, by his power, be broken
in pieces like a potter's veffel. Take to thyfelf,
O Lord God Almighty, thy .great power, and reign;
and may the gofpel of Jefus Chrift go forth con
quering and to conquer. May the everlafting
gofpel, in its primitive purity, be preached to all
that dwell on the earth, to every nation, and
kindred, and tonr-ne, and people. By the bright-
nefs of our. Lord's appearance, may the man of

fin

THE CONCLUSION, 171

fin be utterly confumed, that all the kingdoms of
this world may become the kingdoms of our lord
and of his Child, and may he reign for ever and
ever.

In the mean time,, may we thy faithful fervants,
in the patient waiting for this coming of our Lord
Jefus Chrift, be fearlefs and unwearied in aflerting
thy truth, be ready to lay hold of every favourable
opportunity to promote it, and, more efpecially,
be careful to recommend it by a fuitable life and
converfation. May we diftin^uifh ourfelves by
having the fame mind that was alfo in Chrift Jefus,
by genuine humility, meeknefs, forbearance,
brotherly love, heavenly-mindednefs, and habitual
chearful devotion; that when our lord (hall return,
and take account of his fervants, we may be found
without fpot and blamelefs, and not be afhamed
before him at his coming.

Now to thee, who alone art eternal, immortal,
and invifible, the only wife, living, and true God,
be glory, through Jefus Chrift, for ever and ever.
Amen.

THE CONCLUSION.

THIS publication completes the fcheme which
was begun in the Appeal^ and continued in the
Triumph if Truth ; being intended to be a plain and

earneft addrefs to the common people, and efpeci-

ally

j72 THE CONCLUSION.

ally to thofe of them who have but little money to
fpare for the purchafe of books, or time for the read
ing of them.

I am not fo little acquainted with human nature,
as to expect any great fuccefs in this attempt to
overturn long-eftablifhed errors j and leaft of all.
can I hope to convince thofe who refufe to read, cr
to hear ^ which is the cafe with too many) on whom
even miracles could produce no effect -s but the ref-
toration of chriftianity to its primitive purity and ef
ficacy, after fo long and fo radical a corruption
(which was forefeen and lamented by the infpired
writers of the New Teftament) is ib great and fo
worthy an object, that every man, who has the in-
tereft of religion at heart, will rejoice in every op
portunity that divine providence affords him for
promoting it, with refpect to ever fo few, or even
a fingle individual of his fellow-creatures.

A -zeal for the truth, and even to contend earneflly
for it, does certainly well become a chriftian.
Since, however, the infpiring of a cbriftian fpirit
is the great purpofe to which purity of chriftian
faith is fubfervient, I hope that, with refpecl to
myfelf, I have been careful not to lofe the end^
while I have been contending for the means. Of
th my read er may be a pretty good judge $ fince
that zeal which arifes from the love of truth, and
of mankind, will eafily be diftinguifhed from that
fpirit which actuates thofe whom Paul calls the dlfr

fitters

THE CONCLUSION. 173

puters of this world^ a fpirit which favours ftrongly
of pride, hatred and malice-) and which often induces
them to have recourfe to unfair and unworthy arti
fices in order to gain a victory.

Some perfcns think that in thefe publications I
have attacked too many long-eftablifhed errors, and
that it would have been more prudent to have at
tempted one thing at once, and to have proceeded
gradually and gently. But it fhould be confidered,'
that there are in. the world perfons in every poffible
flateofmind with refpect to thefe things -, fo that
what will ftagger fome is calculated to make the
ftrongeft and beft impreflion upon others. Since,
therefore, every thing that is publiflied from the
prefs muft be diftributed promlfcuoufly^ we can only
take care that what we write be calculated to do
good in general ; and fince a nice calculation of
this kind is exceedingly difficult, it appears to me
to be the beft, upon the whole, for every perfon to
endeavour to eftablifh what appears to himfeif to be
the whole truth, and not to trouble himfeif about any
confequences. The gofpel-fower muft caft his
feed promifcuoufly on all kinds of ground, hoping,
that in fome it may yield a good increafe, though
he muft lay his account with its being loft, and
even worfe than loft upon others.

I alfo think it an objection to the flow and
cautious proceeding • which fome perfons recom
mend,, that the evidence of any truth is exhibited
P 3 to

i74 THE CONCLUSION.

to the moft advantage in connection with the whole
fyjlem to which it belongs. Nor would I conclude
that becaufe the minds of many are ftaggered by
bold and undrfguifed reprefentations of truth, this
mode of proceeding is, upon the whole, Icfs effec
tual. In many cafes it may be the only method of
gaining a fufficient degree of attention to a fubject ;
snd when this only is done, a great point is gained.
The horror with which an offeniive fentiment is
viewed at firft may wear off by degrees, and a cool
examination fucceed. What could give more of
fence, even to good minds, than the manner in
which Luther, and other reformers, attacked the
church of Rome ? Any perfon would have ima
gined, a priori^ that it could only offend and irri
tate. We muft wait a confiderable time before we
can form a judgment of the number of converts that
any perfon makes.

I cannot help exprefling my furprize that fo many
perfons, and efpecially of the clergy of the efta-
blifhed church, {hould profefs themfelves Armlmans^
rejecting the Calviniftic doclrines of election and
reprobation, and yet entertain fuch a honor of
Arianifm^ or Soclniamfm^ contending with the
greateft earneftnefs for the divinity of Chrift, and
atonement for fin by his death j when it appears to
me, that the literal interpretation of the language
of kripture (which is almoft all that can be pleaded
in favour of any of thofe opinions^ is even more fa
vourable

THE CONCLUSION. 175

vourable to the former than to the latter, as, I
fhould think, muft appear to any perfon who will
attend to thofe which I have quoted in this treatife.
I know that I have found much more difficulty in
my attempts to explain them. I conilder it, how
ever, as an undoubted fign cf the progrefs of jiift
thinking in matters of religion, that the ftandard of
orthodoxy is fo much lower at prefent than it has
been in former times.

Time was, and, though I am not old, I well re
member the time, when Arminians would have
been reckoned no better than Socinians by thofe who
were reputed the orthodox of their day ; and yet
with what rage have fome of thefe orthodox-writer sy
attacked a brother -heretic? How would the manes
of thofe old champions fmile to fee M^ fall out by the
wayy when they were confident that we muft all
come to the fame place of torment at laftj and the
furious zeal of thofe veterans was far mere plaufible
and refpedtable, than that of the modern pretenders
to orthodoxy ?

There is fomething ^r/^/Vzg' and conjiflent in the
genuine Sufralapfarian ft/Ism^ of the eternally def-
tined fall of man, an infinite penalty incurred by
one, and, by the imputation of his fin, affect ng
all, and an ii. finite atonement adequate to it made
L-y an infinite being j by which means a fmail rem
nant of the human race are neccffarily faved, v/hlie
all the reft of iiiankinJ, including new-born chil
dren,

i76 THE CONCLUSION.

dren, unbelieving jews, mahometans and heathens,
arminians and baxterians, arians and focinians,
without dirr.inc~r.ion (as deftitute either of faith, or
the right faith) are configned to everlafting tor
ments with the devil and his angels ; from whence
refults glory to a God, who, in all this dreadful
fcheme, is fuppofed to have fought nothing elfe.

Thefe are the tremendous doftrines which have
over-awed mankind for fo many centuries ; andy
compared with this, all the modern qualified^ inter
mediate fyftems are crude, incoherent, and con
temptible things. My antagonifts may cavil at
eleftion and reprobation^ or any other fingle article
in the well-compacied fyftem, but every part is
necefiary to the whole ; and if one ftone be pufhed
out of its place, the v/hole building tumbles to the
ground. And when, in confequence of their ill-
judged attempts to alter, patch, and repair,, they
have brought things to this cataftrophe, there will
be nothing left but the fimple belief, that the mer
ciful parent of the univerfe, who never meant any
thing but the happinefs of his creatures,, fent his
well-beloved fon, the man^ Cbrift Jefus, to reclaim
men from their wickednefs, and to teach them the
way of righteoufnefs ; alluring them, for their en
couragement, of the free ^and unbought pardon of
their fins, and promifmg a life of endlefs happinefs
to all that receive and obey the gofpclj by repenting

of-

THE CONCLUSION. 177

cf their fins, and bringing forth fruits meet for re
pentance.

This is the eiTence of what is called focinlanifm ;
and though this fimple doctrine may, on account
of its excellence and fimplicity, be a ftumbling-
block to fome, and foolifhnefs to others, I believe
it to be the fum and fubftance of the gofpel of Je-
fus Chrifr, and the wifdom and power of God.

Formidable as the greateft adverfary of the truth
may be, I make no doubt but that, by the help ef
reafon, and \hefiuordofthejpirit) which is the word
of God> it will be finally overcome. And whenever
the ho/)' Gpoftles and prophets foall rejoice at the fall of
this la ft part of myftical Babylon^ Rev. xviii. 20;
happy will they be who may join the chorus, as
having employed their efforts, however feeble, with
thofe who, in this great caufe, fight under the ban-
ne^s of the lanib^ and who are called^ and chojen, and
faithful^ Rev. xvii, 14.

A GENERAL VIEW

,«

OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE

UNITY OF GODS

AND AGAINST THE

DIVINITY AND PRE-EXISTENCE

O F

CHRIST;

FROM REASON, FROM THE SCRIPTURES, AND
FROM HISTORY.

A
GENERAL VIEW.'

I. ARGUMENTS FROM REASON AGAINST THE

TRINITARIAN HYPOTHESIS.

THAT the do6lrine of the trinity could ever
have been fuggefted by any thing in the courfe of
nature (though it has been imagined by fome per-
fons of a peculiarly fanciful turn, and previoufly
perfuaded of the truth of it) is not maintained by
any psrfons to whom my writings can be at all ufe-
ful. I fhall therefore only addrefs myfelf to thofe
who believe the do&rine on the fuppofition of its
being contained in the fcriptures^ at the fame time
maintaining, that, though it is above, it is not pro
perly contrary to reafon ; and I hope to make it fuf-
ficiently evident, either that they do not hold the
docVme, or that the opinion of three divine perfins
conftituting one God is ftri&ly fpeaking an abfurdity9
or contradiffitn ; and that it is therefore incapable
of any proof, even by miracles. With this view,
I fhall recite in order all the diftindt modifications
of this doctrine, and fhew that, upon any of them,
there is either no proper unity 9 in the divine nature,
or no proper trinity.

If, with Dr. Waterland, and others who are
reckoned the ftri&eft Athanafians, (though their
opinions were not known in the time of Athanafms
himfelf,) it be fuppofed that there are three perfons
properly equal, and that no one of them has any
Q. fort

1 8 2 Arguments from Reafon

fort of fuperiority over the reft, they are, to all in
tents and purpofes, three diftincl: Gods. For if each
of them, feparately confidered, be poffefled of ali
divine perfections, fo that nothing is wanting to
complete divinity, each of them muft be as properly
& God as any being poflefled of all the properties of
man muft be a man, and therefore three perfons pof-
fefTed of all the attributes of divinity muft be as pro
perly three Gods as three perfons poiTefTed of all hu
man artributes muft be three men. Thefe three
perfons, therefore, muft be incapable of any ftricl:
or numerical unity. It muft be univerfally true,
that three things to which the fame definition applies
can never make only one thing to which the fame
deiitiition applies. And when by the words thing^
being, or perfon we mean nothing more than, logi
cally fpeaking, the JuljtEt) vr fubfhatv.m of properties
or attributes , it is a matter of indifference which of
them we make ufe of.

Each of thefe three perfons may have other pro
perties, but they muft be numerically three in that
refpe& in which the fame definition applies to them.
If, therefore, the three perfons agree in this cir-
cumftance, that they are each of them perfeft GW,
though they may differ in other refpecT:*, and have
peculiar relations to each other, and to us, they
inuft ftill be three Gods ; and to fay that they are
only one God is as much a contradiction, as to fay
that three men, though they differ from one ano
ther

agatnjl the Trinitarian Hypotbefis. 183

theras much as three men can do, are not three
men, but only one man.

If it be faid, with the Antenicene fathers, and
with bifhops Pearfon and Bull, among the modern
Englifh writers, that the Father is the fountain of
deity i and that the Ton is derived from him, whe
ther neceffarily or voluntarily, whether in time or
from eternity, they cannot be of the fame rank : but
the Father will be poiTefied of an original, a real*
and proper fuperiority to the Son ; who will be no
more than an efftSl upon the Father's exertion of
his powers, which is, to all intents and purpofes,
making the Son to be a production or creature of the
Father ; even though it fhould be fuppofed with
theantients that he was created out of the fubftance
of the Father, and without taking any thing from
him. Moreover, as upon this fcheme the Son was
never capable of giving birth to another perfon like
himfelf, he muft hare been originally inferior in
power to the Father, the fource from which he
himfelf fprang. On this fcheme, therefore, there
is no proper equality between thefe divine perfons ;
and the Antenicene Fathers did not pretend that
there was, but diftinguimed the Father by the epi
thet of «t/ToS«©*, God of himfelf i and the Son by the
inferior title of $s& en 3£a, Gad of God, or a derived
God.

If it be faid that there is only one intelligent fu-

preme mind, but that it exerts itielf three different

ways, and lus three different modes of a£t ion. or

Q^2. operation

Arguments from Rcafon

operation (which was the opinion of Dr. Wallis,
and that which was generally afcribed to the ancient
Sabellians), with refpecl: to one of which the fame
divine Being was called the Father, to another the
Son, and another the Holy Spirit ; there is no pro
per trinity at all. For on the fame principle on«
man, bearing three different offices, or having three
different relations or capacities, as thofe of magif-
trate, father, fon, &c. would be three different
IT, en.

Some reprefent themfelves as believing the doc
trine of the trinity by afferting with Dr. Dod-
bridge*, that " God is fo united to the derived
** nature of Chrifr, and does fo dwell in it, that,
€< by virtue of that union^ Chrift may be properly
4< called God, and fuch regards become due to him,
** as are not due to any created nature, or mere
** creature, be it in itfel fever fo excellent."

What this union i?, in confequence of which any
creature can be entitled to the attributes and honours
of his creator, is not pretended to be explained ;
but as we cannot poflibly have any idea of an union
between God and a creature, befides that of God
being prefent with that creature, and acting by
him, which is the fame thing that is afferted by the
Arians or Socimans^ thefe nominal trinitarians muft
neceffarily belong to one or other of thefe two
claries. This is fo evident, that it is hardly pofli-

blc

* See his Lectures, proportion ia8, p. 392.

again ft the Art an Hypo the/is. 185

ble not to fuppofe but that they muft have been
much affifted at leaft in deceiving themfelves into a
belief that they were trinitarians, by the influence
which a dread of the odium and other inconveni •
ences attending the Arian or Socinian doctrine had;
on their minds. The prefence of God the Father
with any creature, whether it be called an union
with him, or it be exprefled in any other manner
whatever, can be nothing more than the unity of the
Father in that creature ; and whatever it be that
God voluntarily imparts, he may withdraw again
at pleafure. And what kind of divinity muft that
be, which is dependent upon the will of another ?

Upon none of the modifications, therefore,
which have been mentioned (and all others may be
reduced to thefe) can the doctrine of the trinity, or
of three divine perfons in one God be fupported,
In moft cf them the doctrine itfelf is loft, and where
it remains it is inconfiftent with reafon and com
mon fenfe.

II. ARGUMENTS FROM REASON AGAINST THE

ARIAN HYPOTHESIS.

THE Arian doctrine, of the world having been
made and governed not by the fupreme God him-
felfj but by Chrift, the Son of God, though no
contradiction in itfelf, is, on feveral accounts,
highly improbable.

Q. 3 On*

1 86 Arguments fr MR Renfon

Our reafoning from effects to caufes carries us
no farther than to the immediate creator of the vifl-
ble univerfe. For if we can fuppofe that being to
have had a caufe, or author, we may fuppofe that
his caufe or author had a higher caufe, and fo on
ad infinltum- According to the light of nature,
therefore, the immediate caufe or author of the vi-
fible univerfe is the felf-exiftent firft caufe, and
not any being acting under him, as his inftrument.
However, the fcheme itfelf is riot naturally impofli-
ble, fince a being poflefTed of power fufEcient to
produce the vifible univerfe,, which is a limited
production, mav be finite, and therefore may derive
his power, and his being, from one who is fuperior
to him. But though the Arian fcheme cannot be
faid to be in itfelf impoffible, it is, on fevtral ac
counts, extremely improbable a priori, and there
fore ought not to be admitted, without very ftrong
and clear evidence.

Jf this great derived being, the fuppofed maker
and governor of the world, was united to a human
body, he muft either have retained, and have exer-
cifed> his extraordinary powers during this union,
or have been diverted of them ; and either fuppaii-
tion has its, peculiar difficulties and improbabilities.

If this great being retained his proper powers,
during this union,, he rnuft. have been fuftaining the
whole univerfe, 2nd fupcrin tend ing all the laws of
nature, while he was an infant at the breaft of his

rnotherj.

agalnjl tie Arlan Hypothecs. 187

mother, and while he hung upon the crofs. And
to imagine the creator of the world to have been in
thofe circumftances is an idea at which the mind
revolts, almoir, as much as at that of the fupreme
God himfelf being reduced to them .

Beiides, if Chrift retained, and exercifed all his
former powers in this ftate of apparent humiliation,,
he muil: have wrought all his miracles by; a power
properly bis own, a power naturally belonging to him*
as much as the power of fpeaking and walking be
longs to any other man. But this was exprefsly
difclaimed by our Saviour, when he laid, that of
bhnfelf be could do nothing, and that it was the Fa
ther within him who did the works. Alfo, on this
fuppofition, it mu-ft have been this fuper-angelic
being united to the body of Jefus, that raifed him
from the dead ; whereas this is an effect which is
always afcribcd to God the Father only.

If, on the other hand, Chrift was divefted of
his original powers, or emptied himfelf of them upon
his incarnation, the whole fyftemof the government
cf the univerfc muft have been changed during his
refidence upon earth. Either fome other derived.
being (which this fcheme does not provide) muft
have taken his place, or the fupremc being himfelf
muft have condescended to do that which the
fcheme fuppofes there was an impropriety in his
doing. For certainly the making and the govern
ing of the world, would not have been delegated to

another*

Arguments from Reafon

another, if there had not been fome good reafon m
the nature of things (though it be unknown to us,
and may be undifcoverable by us) why the world
fliould have been made and governed by a derived
being, and not by the fupreme being himfelf. And
this reafon, whatever it was, muft, as far as we
can judge, have operated during the time that
Chrift was upon the earth, as well as before.

If Chrift was degraded to the (late of a mere man
during his humiliation on earth, reafon will aflc,
why might not a mere man have been fufficient 5.
fjnee, notwithftanding his original powers, no
thing was, in fact, done by him, more than any:
other man, aided and affifted by God as he was,
might have been equal to ?

If we confider the object of Chrift's miflion, and
the beings whom it refpecr.ed,. viz. the race cf
mail, we cannot but think that there muft have
been a greater 'propriety, and ufe, in the appoint
ment cf a mere man to that oiBce. What occafion
was there for any being fuperior to man for thepur-
pofe of communicating the will of God to man ?'
And as an example of a refurrection to an immor
tal life (to enforce which was the great object of
his miflion) the death and refurrection of one who
was properly and fimply a man was certainly far
better adapted to give men fatisfaction concerning
their own future refurrection, than the feeming
death (for it could be nothing more) of fuch a being

as-

agalnft the Arlan Hypotbefis. 189

as the maker of the world, and the refurreclion of
a body to which he had been united. For, as he
was a being of ib much higher rank, it might be
faid, that the laws of his nature might be very dif
ferent from thofeofcurs; and therefore he might
have privileges to which we could not pretend, and
to which we ought not to afpire.

If the world was created and governed by a de
rived being, this being, on whom we immediately
depended, would be that to whom all men would
naturally look. He would neceflarily become the
object of their prayers, in ccnfequence of which
the fupreme being would be overlooked, and be
come a mere cypher in the univerie.

As modern philofophy fuppofes that there are in
numerable worlds inhabited by rational and imper
fect beings (for all creatures muft be finite and im
perfect) befides this of ours, it cannot be fuppofed
but that many of them muft have flood in as much
need of the interpofition of the maker of the uni-
verfe as we have done. And can we fuppofe either
that this fhould be the only fpot in the univerfe fo
highly diftinguiflied, or that the maker of it fiiould
undergo as many degradations as this fcheme may
require ?

The doctrine of ChrirVs pre-exiftence goes upon
the idea of the poffibility, at leaft, of the pre-exif-
tence of other men, and fuppofes an immaterial foul
in man, altogether independent of the body ; fo

that

Arguments againft the Trinitarian

that it mud have been capable of thinking, and
ailing before his birth, as well as it will be after his
death. But thefe are fuppofitiuns which no ap
pearance in nature favours.

The arian hypothefis, therefore, though it im
plies no proper contradiction, is, on feveral ac
counts, highly improbable a priori^ and therefore
ought not to be admitted without very clear and
ftrong evidence.

,111, ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE TRINITARIAN
AND THE ARIAN HYPOTHESES FROM THE

SCRIPTURES.

I SHALL now {hew, in as concife a manner as
J can, that the doctrine of the trinity, and alfo the
arian hypothefis, have as little countenance from the
icriptures as they have from reafon. The fcriptures
teach us that there is but one God, who is him-
felf the maker and the governor of all things; that
this one God is the foleobje&of worfhip, and that
he fent Jefus Chrifl to inftrucl mankind, empowered
him to work miracles, raifed him from the dead,
and gave him all the power that he ever was, or is
now poflefied of.

i. The fcriptures contain the cleared and moft
exprefs declarations, that there is but one GW,
without ever mentioning any exception in favour
of a trinity , or guarding us againft being led into
any miftake by fuch general and unlimited ex-

preffions*

and Arlan Hypotbefes from Scripture. 191

prefllons. Ex. xx. 3. Then Jhalt have no other
God before me. Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Ifrael, the
Lord our God is one Lsrd. Mark xii. 29. The fir ft
of all the commandments is. Hear, O Iff ail, the Lord
our God is one Lord. I Cor. viii. 6. To us there
is but one God, the Father, of who?n are all things,
and we in him -, and one Lord, Jefus Chrifl, by whom
are all things, and we in him. Eph. iv. 5, 6. One
Lord, one faith, one baptifm, one God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you
all. i Tim. ii. 5. For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Jefus.

On the other hand, not only does the word trinity
never occur in the fcriptures, but it is no where
faid that there are three perfons in this one God: nor is
the doctrine explicitly laid down in any other direct
proportion whatever. Chrift indeed fays, John x. 30.
/ and my Father are one-, but he fufficiently explains
himfelf, by praying that his difciples might be one
with him in the fame fenfe in which he was one
with the Father. John xvii. 21,22. That they all
may be one^ as thou Father art in me, and I in thee,
that they alfo may be one in us-, and the glory which
thou gavcft to me, I have given them, that they may be
one, even as we are one.

2. This one God is faid to have created all things;
and no intimation is given of his having employed
any inferior agent or inftrument in the work of
creation. Gen, i, I. In the beginning Ged created

the

192 Arguments dgalnft the Trinitarian

the heaven and the earth — ver. 3. God faid, let there
bt light and there was light, &c. Pf. xxxiii. 6. By
the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all
the hojl of them by the breath of his mouth — ver. 9.
He j'pake, and it was done ; he commanded^ and it
flood f aft. If. xliv. 24. 1 bus faith the Lord, thy
redeemer , and he that firmed thee from the womb, I
am. the Lord that maketh all things, that ftretcheth
forth the heavens alone, that f[>readeth abroad the
earth by myfetf.

3. This one God is called the- Father, i. e. the
author of all beings ; and he is called God and
Father with refpecl: to Chrift, as well as all other
perfons. John vi. 27. Labour not for the meat
which per iflwth, but for that meat which endureth unto
tveriafting life, which the fon 0f man Jh all give unto
you y for hi?n hath God the Father fealcd. John
Xvii. 3. That they might know thee, the only, true
God, and Jefus Chrift whom thou haftfe.nt. John xx.
17. Go to my brethren, and fay unto them, I afcend
unto my Father and your Father, and to my God, and
your God. Eph. i. 17. That the God of our Lord
Jefus Chrift, the father cf glory, may give unto you
the fpirit of wifdo?n and revelation in the knowledge of
him. Col. i. 3. iFe give thanks to God, and the
Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift,

4. Chrifl is faid exprefsly to be inferior to the
Father, all his power is faid to have been given
him by the Father, and he could do nothing with
out

and Arian .Hypothefes from Scripture. 193

out the Father. John xvi. 28. My Father is greater
than I. i Cor. iii. 23. Te are Chri/T s and Chrtft
is God's. I Cor. xi. 3. The head of Chrljl h God.
John V. 19. Verily , verily ', I fay unto you^ the Sort
can do nothing of himfelf. John xiv. 10. The words
that I fpeak unto you I fpeak not of myfelf, and the
Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works. Matt,
xxviii. 1 8. All power is given to me in heaven and
in earth. 2 Pet. i. 17. He received from God the
Father honour and glory. Rev. i. i. The revelation
tf Jefus Chrifty which God gave unto him.

It is now alledged that Chrift did not mean that
he was inferior to the Father with refpeft to his
divine nature^ but only with refpeft to his human,
nature. But if fuch liberties be taken in explaining
a perfon's meaning, language has no ufe whatever.
On the fame principles, it might be aflferted that
Chrift never died, or that he never rofe from the
dead, fecretly meaning his divine nature only.
There is no kind of impofition but what might be
authorized by fuch an abufe of language as this.

5. Some things were with-held from Chrift by
his Father. Mark xiii. 32. But of that day, and
that hour^ hwweth no man \ no not the angels that are
in heaven^ neither the Sony but the Father. Matt. XX".
23. To fit on my right-hand and on my left^ is not
mine to give; bu it Jhall be given to them for whom
it is prepared of my Father.

R 6 As

1-94 Arguments again/I the Trinitarian

6. As all the dominion that Chrift has was de
rived from the Father, fo it is fubordinate to
that of the Father, i Cor. xv. 24, &c. Then
cometh the end, when he Jhall have delivered up the
kingdom to God, even the Father , when he Jhall have
-put down all rule , and all authority , and power. For
he mufl reign 'till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The laft enemy that foall be dejlroyed is death. For he
hath put all things under his feet. But when he faith
that all things are put under hi?n, It is mamfejl that
he is excepted who did put all things under him. j$nd
when all things Jhall be fubdued to hi?n, then Jhall the
Son alfo himfelf be fubjett unto him who put all things
under him, that God may be all in all.

7. Chrift always prayed to the Father, and with
as much humility and refignation, as any man, or
the moft dependent being in the univerfe, could
poflibly do. Our Lord's whole hiftory is a proof
of this; but efpecially the fcene of his agony in
the garden, Matt. xxvi. 37, &c. And he began
to beforry and very heavy. Then faith he unto them,
My foul is exceeding (orrowful even unto death, tarry ye
here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther
and fell on his face and prayed^ Jay ing, O my Father,
if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from me; neverthelefs^
not as I ^vill, but as thou wilt.

8. Chrift is not only ftilcd a man even after his
rcfurre<Slion, but the reafoning of the apoftles, in
fome of the pafiages where he is fpokcn of, requires

that

and Arian Hypothefes from Scripture. 195

that he fhould be confidered as a. man with refpect
to h-s nature^ and not in name only, as their reafon-
ing has no force but upon that fuppofition. A6i«
ii. 22. Je/us of Nazareth^ a man approved of by
God, by miracles and wonders and Jigns^ which GeJ
did by him in the midfl of you. Heb. ii. 17. Where
fore it behoved him in all things to be made like twii
his brethren. Heb. ii. 10. It became him for whwn
are all things^ and by whom are all things^ in bringing
many fans unto glory, to make the captain of their fal-
vation perfefi through fujferings. i Cor. xv. 21.
For fine e by man came death, by man eame alfo the r*-
furrettion from the dead : for as in Adam all die^
tvcnfo in Chrijl /ball all be made alive.

9. Whatever exaltation Chr ift now enjoys it is
the gift of his Father, and the reward of his
obedience unto death. Phil. ii. 8, 9. dnd being
in fajhion as a man^ he humbled himfelf, and becam*
ibedient to deatk^ even the death of the crofs. Where
fore God alfo bath highly exalted him^ and given him a
name zihich is above every nams. Heb. ii. 9, But
we fee yefus^ivho was made a little lower than the angels
for the Buffering of death^ crowned with glory and
honour. Heb. xii. 2. Looking unto JcfaS) the Au
thor and finijher of our faith ; who for the joy which was
fet before h m endured the crojs, defpifmg the fhc.me and
isfitten down at the right-hand of the throne of God.

Let it alfo be confidered, that no ufe whatever

is made of the dodlrine of the incarnation of the

R 2 make i-

196 Arguments again/} the Trinitarian

maker of the world, in all the New Teftament.
We are neither informed why fo extraordinary a
jneafure was neceflary for the falvation of men, nor
that it was neceflary. All that can be pretended is,
that it is alluded to in certain expreflions. But
certainly it might have been expelled that a meafure
of this magnitude fhould have been exprefsly
declared, if not clearly explained ; that mankind
might have no doubt what great things had been
done for them ; and that they might refpect their
great deliverer, as his nature, and his proper rank
in the creation required.

The author of the cpiftle to the Hebrews evidently
considered Chrift as a being of a different rank from
that of angels ; and the realbn why he fays that he
tught to be fo, is, that he might have a feeling of
our infirmities. But, certainly, we fhall be more
eafily fatisfied that any perfon really felt as a man,
if he was truly a man, and nothing more than a
man \ than if he was a fuperior being (and efpecially
a being fo far fuperior to us as the maker of the
world muft have been) degraded to the condition
of a man 3 becaufe, if he had any recolledlion of
his former flate, the idea of that muft have borne
him up under his difficulties and fufferings, in fuch
a manner as no mere man could have been fup-
ported : and it is fuppofed by the arians that Cbrijl
had a knowledge of his prior ftate, for they fuppofe
him to have referred to it in his prayer to the Father

for

and Ar i an Hypothefes from Scripture. 197

for tie glory which he had with him before the world
was } and yet this is hardly confiftent with the ac
count that Luke gives of his increafing in wffdom,

No perfon, I think, can, with an unpiejudiced
mind, attend to thefe confiderations, and the texts
of fcripture above recited (which are perfectly
agreeable to the tenor of the whole) and imagine
that it was the intention of the facred writers to
reprefent Chrift either as the fupreme God, eras
the maker of the world under God.

There is another hypothecs, of fome modern
arians, which reprefents Chrift as having pre-
exifted, but not as having been the creator or
governor of the world, or the medium of all the
difpenfations of God to mankind. But thofe texts
of fcripture which feem to be moft exprefs in
favour of Chrift's pre-exiftence do likewife, by
the fame mode of interpretation, reprefent him as
the maker of the world ; fo that if the favourers of
this hypothefis can fuppofe the language of thefe
texts to be figurative, they may more eafily fuppofe
the other to be figurative alfo ; and that whatever
obfcurity there may be in them, they were not
intended to refer to any pre-exiftence at all.

The paffages of fcripture which are fuppofed to
fpeak of Chrift as the maker of the world are the
following, viz. John i. 3. Eph. iii. 9. Col. i. 15,
Heb. i, i. &c. Thefe, I will venture to fay, are the
texts that mo ft ftrongly favour the notion of Chrift's
R 3 pre-cxiftcnce,

198 Arguments agalnfl the Trinitarian

pre-exiftence, and no perfon can doubt but that, if
they muft be interpreted to aflert that Chrift pre-
exifted at all, they, with the fame clearnefs, aflert
that he was the maker of the world. But if thefe
texts admit of a figurative interpretation, all the
other texts, which are fuppofed to refer to the pre-
txijfonce only, will more eafily admit of a fimilar con-
ilru6lion. Thefe two opinions, therefore, viz.
that Chrift pre-exifted, and that he was the maker
of the world, ought, by all means, to fland or
fall together, and if any perfon think the latter to
be improbable, and contrary to the plain tenor of
the fcriptures (which uniformly reprefent the
Aipreme being himfelf, without the aid of any in
ferior agent, or inftrument, as the maker of the
univerfe) he fhould abandon the doctrine of fimple
pre-exiftence alfo.

In what manner the proper Unitarians interpret
thefe paiTages of fcripture may be feen in my
Familiar illujlralion cf particular texts of fcriptwe,
in feveral of ihefocinian tratfs, in three volumes
quarto, and efpecially in Mr. Lindfey's Sequel to
bis Apology, p. 455, to which I refer my render for
a farther difcuilian of this fubjecSh

It is only of late years, that any perfons have
pretended to feparate the two opinions of Chrifl's
pre-exiftence, and of his being the maker of the
world, Ail the ancient arians maintained both, as
did Dr. Clarke, Mr, Whifton, Mr. Emlyn, Mr.

Pierce,

Arguments fr am Hlflor^ bV. 199

Pierce, and their followers ; and I do not know
that any other hypothefis has appeared in writing*,
except that it is alluded to in theTheological Repo-
fitory.

IV. Arguments from Hiftory again/I the Divinity and
Pre-exijlence of Chrift', or a fummary view of the
evidence for the primitive chri/lians having held
the doRrine of the fimple humanity of Chrijl.

N.B. To each article is fubjoined a reference to publica
tions in which the fubjcct is difcufled : H. fignifying the
Hifrory of the Corruptions of Chrijlianity. vol. i. R. Reply
to the Monthly Re-view, and L. Letters to Dr. Horfay.
To each article is alfo fubjoined a. reference to the follow
ing Maxims of Hijlorical Qrrlicifin.

I. It is acknowledged by early writers of the
orthodox perfuafion, that two kinds of herefy ex-
ifted in the time of the apofties, viz. that of thofe
who held that Chrift was (imply a man, and that
of the Gnoftics, of whom feme belie'/ed that
Chrift was man only in appearance, and others
that it was only Jefus and not the Chrljl (a pre-ex-
iftent fpirit who defcended from heaven and dwelt
in him) that fuffered on the crofs. Now the apoflle
John animadverts with the greateft feverity upon
the latter, but makes no mention. of the former j
and can it be thought probable thr.t he would pafs
it without cenfure, if he had thought it to be an
error; considering how great, and how dangerous

an

20 o Arguments from Hi/lory

an error it has always been thought by thofe who
have confidered it as being an error at all ? Maxim
12. H. p. 9,

2. The great objection that jews have always
made to chriftianity in its prefent ftate is, that it
enjoins the worfhip of more gods than one ; and
it is a great article with the chriftian writers of the
fecond and following centuries to anfwer this ob
jection. But it does not appear in all the book of
Acts, in which v/e hear much of the cavils of the
jews, both in Jerufalem and in many parts of the
Roman empire, that they made any fuch objection
to chriftianity then-, nor do the apoftles either there,
or in their epiftles, advance any thing with a view
to fuch an objection. It may be prefumed, there
fore, that no fuch offence to the jews had then been
given, by the preaching of a doctrine fo offenfive
to them as that of the divinity of Chrift muft have
been. Maxim 12, 13. L. p. 59.

3. As no jew had originally any idea of their
Meffiah being more than a man, and as the apoftles
and the firft chriftians had certainly the fame idea
at firft concerning Jefus, it may be fuppofed that,
if ever they had been informed that Jefus was not
a man, but either God himfelf, or the maker of
the world under God, we fhould have been able
to trace the time and the circumftances in which fo
great a difcovery was made to them; and alfo that
we fhould have perceived the cfFect which it had

upon

again ft the Divinity ofCbrifl. 20T

upon their minds; at leaft by fome change in their
manner of fpeaking concerning him. But nothing
of this kind is to be found in the gofpels, in th*
book of A£b, or in any of the epiftles. We per
ceive marks enow of other new views of things, ef-
pecially of the cA\ of the gentiles to partake of the
privileges of the gofpel ; and we hear much of the
difputes and the eager contention which it occafi*
oned. But how much more muft all their preju
dices have been mocked by the information that
the perfon whom they at firft took to be a mere mam
was not" a man, but either God himfelf, or the ma
ker of the world under God? Maxim 13. L.

P-55-

4. All the jewifh chriftians, after the deftru&ion
of Jerufalem, which was immediately after the age
of the apoftles, are faid to have been Ebionilt$\ and
thefe were only of two forts, fome of them holding
the miraculous conception of our Saviour, and
others believing that he was the ion of Jofeph as
well as of Mary. None of them are faid to have
believed either that he was God, or the maker of
the world under God. And is it at all credible that
the body of the jewiili chriftians, if they had ever
been inftru&ed by the apoftles in the doclrine of
the divinity or pre-exiftence of Chrift, would fo
foon, and fo generally, if not univcrfally, have
abandoned that faith? Maxim 6. H. p. 7. R. p. 3:
L. p. 14,

5. Had

202 Arguments from Hiftory

5. Had Chrift been confidered as God, or the
maker of the world under God, in the early ages of
the church, he would naturally have been the pro-
per object of prayer to chriftians ; nay, more fo
than God the Father, with whom, on the fcheme
of the doctrine of the trinity, they muft have known
that they had lefs immediate intercourfe. But
prayers to Jefus Chrift were not ufed in early times,
but gained ground gradually, with the opinion of
Chrift being God, and the objecl of worfhip.
Maxim 14. L. p. 18.

6. Athanafius rcprefents the apoftles as obliged
to ufe great caution not to offend their firft con
verts with the do^rine of Chrift's divinity, and as
forbearing to urge that topic till they were firft well
eftabliihed in the belief of his being the Meffiah.
He adds, that the jews, being in an error en this
fubjecr., drew the gentiles into it. Chryfoftom,
and the chriftian fathers in general, agree with
Athanafius in this reprefentation of the filence of
the apoftles in their firft preaching, both with ref-
pecl: to the divinity of Chrift and his miraculous
conception. They reprefent them as leaving their
difciples to learn the doctrine of Chrift's divinity,
by way of inference from certain exprefiions j and
they do not pretend to produce any inftance in
which they taught that doctrine clearly and ex
plicitly. Maxim 13. H. p. 12. L. p. 37. 53.

7. Hegefippus, the firft chriftian hiftoiian, him-

felf

agalnft the Divinity of Chrift. 203

felf a jew, and therefore probably an Ebionite,
enumerating the herefies of his time, mentions fe-
veral of the gnoftic kind, but not that of Chrift:
being a mere man. He moreover fays, that in
travelling to Rome, where he arrived in the time
of Anicetus, he found that all the churches he vi-
fited held the faith which had been taught by
Chrift and the apoftles, which, in his opinion, was
probably that of Chrift being not God, but man
only. Juftin Martyr alfo, and Clemens Alexan-
drinus, who wrote after Hegefippus, treat largely
of herefies in general, without mentioning, or al
luding to, the Unitarians. Maxim 8. H, p. 8, R.
P. 8.

8. All thofe who were deemed heretics in early
times were cut off from the communion of thofe
who called themfelves the orthodox chriftians, and
went by fome particular namej generally that of
their leader. But the Unitarians among the gen
tiles were not expelled from the afTemblies of chrif
tians, but worfhipped along with thofe who were
called orthodox, and had no particular name till the
time of Victor, who excommunicated Theodotus;
and a long time after that Epiphanius endeavoured
to give them the name of Alogi. And though the
Ebionites, probably about or before this time, had
been excommunicated by the gentile chriftians, it
was, as Jeroai fays, wily on account of their rigid

adherence

204 Arguments from Hiflorf

adherence to the law of Mofes. Maxim 5. H. p.
14. L. p. 25.

9. The Apoftks creed is that which was taught ts
all catechumens before bap tifm, and additions were
made to it from time to time, in order to exclude
thofe who were denominated heretics. Now though
there are feveral articles in that creed which allude
to the gnomics, and tacitly condemn them, there
was not, in the time of Tertullian, any article in
it that alluded to the Unitarians -, fo that even then
any Unitarian, at leaft one believing the miraculous
conception, might have fubfcribed it. It may,
therefore, be concluded, that fimple unitarianifm
Was not deemed heretical at the end of the fecond
century. Maxim 7. L. p. 27.

10. It is acknowledged by Eufebius and others,
that the ancient Unitarians themfelves conftantly
^flerted that their doctrine was the prevailing opi
nion of the chriftian church till the time of Victor.
Maxim 2. H. p. 18. R. p. 25.

11. Juftin Martyr, who maintains the pre-exif-
tence of Chrift, is fo far from calling the contrary
opinion a herefy, that what he fays on the fubjecl: is
evidently an apology for his own ; and when he
fpeaks of heretics in general, which he does with
great indignation, as no chriftians, and having no
communication with chriftians, he mentions the
gnoftics only. Maxim 12. H. p. 17. R. p, 15,
L. p. 127,

12. Irenxus,

tgalnft the Divinity ofChrift.

12. Irenaeus, who was after Ju^in, and
Ifrrote a large treatife on the fubjedt of herefr.
very little concerning the Ebioriites, and hu r
calls them heretics. Thofe Ebionites he fpcahs oi
as believing that Chrift was the fon of Jofeph, and
he makes no mention of thofe who believed the
miraculous conception. Maxim 12. H. p. 15. L.
p. 32. 118.

13. Tertullian reprefents the majority of the
common or unlearned chriftians, the Idiot^^ as uni-
tarians ; and it is among the common people that
we always find the oldeft opinions in any country,
and in any feet, while the learned are moil apt to
Innovate. It may therefore be prefumed, that as
the Unitarian doctrine was held by the common
people in the time of Tertullian, it had been more
general ftill before that time, and probably univer-
fal in the apoftolical age. Athanafius alfo mentions
it as a fubject of complaint to the orthodox of his
age, that the many^ and efpecially perfons of low
under/landings^ were inclined to the Unitarian doc
trine. Maxim 4. 10. R. p. 26. L. p. 49.

14. The firft who held and difcufled the doctrine
of the pre-exiftence and divinity of Chrift acknow
ledge that their opinions were exceedingly unpopu
lar among the unlearned chriftians j that thefe
dreaded the doctrine of the trinity, thinking that
it infringed upon the doctrine of the fupremacy of
God the Father $ and the learned chriftians made

S frequent

Arguments fr sm Uljlory

frequent apologies to them, and to others, for their
own opinion. Maxim 10. H. p. 54.

15. The divinity of Chrift was firft advanced
and urged by thofe who had been heathen philofo-
phers, and efpecially thofe who were admirers of
the doctrine of Plato, who held the opinion of a
fecond God. Auftin fays, that he confidered
Chrift as no other than a moft excellent man, and
that he had no fufpicion of God being incarnate in
him, or how " the catholic faith differed from the
" the error of Photinus" (one of the laft of the
proper Unitarians whofe name is come down to us)
'till he read the books of Plato ; and that he was
afterwards confirmed in the catholic doctrine by
reading the fcriptures. Conftantine, in his oration
to the fathers of the council of Nice, fpeaks with
commendation of Plato, as having taught the doc
trine of u a fecond God, derived from the fupreme
" God, and fubfervient to his will." Maxim n.
H. p. 20.

1 6. There is a pretty eafy gradation in the pro-
grefs of the doarine of the divinity of Chrift; as
he was firft thought to be God in fome qualified
fenfe of the word, . a diftinguiflied emanation from
the fupreme mind, and then the logos or the
wifdom of God perfonified; and this logos was
firft thought to be only occafionally detached
from the deity, and then drawn into his efTence
again, before it was imagined to have a permanent

perfonality,

agalnft the Divinity of Chrijl. 20 y

perfonaUty^ diftincl: from that of the fource from
which it fprang. And it was not 'till 400 years af
ter that time that Chrift was thought to be properly
equal to the Father. Whereas, on the other hand,
though it is now pretended that the apoftles taught
the do&rine of the divinity of Chrift, yet it cannot
be denied that, in the very times of the apoftles, the
jewiih church, and many of the gentiles alfo, held
the opinion of his being a mere man. Here the
tranfition ii quite fudden, without any gradation at
all. This inuft naturally have given the greateft
alarm, fuch as is now given to thofe who are called
orthodox, by the prefent Socinians ; and yet no
thing of this kind can be perceived. Befides, it is
certainly moft probable that the chriftians of thofe
times, urged as they were with the meannefs of
their mafter, fhould incline to add /<?, rather than
takefrom^ his natural rank and dignity, Maxim
9. H. p, 20. &c. L. p. 73. 134.

V. Maxims of Hijlorlcal Criticifm, by which the pre*

ceding Articles may be triecL

I. WHEN two perfons give different accounts of
things, that evidence is to be preferred, which is
either in itfelf more probable, or more agreeable to
other credible teftimony.

- 2. Neither is entire credit to be given to any fet
of men with refpeit to what is reputable to them,
to their enemies with refpecl to what is difre-
S 2 putable ;

2 ©8 Maxims of Hiftancal Criticifm.

putable ; but the account given by the one may be
balanced by that of the other. Summary View,
No, 10.

3. Accounts of any fet of men given by their
enemies only are always fufpicious. But the con-
feffions of enemies, and circumftances favourable to
any body of men, collected from the writings of
their adverfaries, are deferving of particular re
gard.

4. It is natural for men who wifh to fpeak dif •
paragingly of any feft to undervalue their numbers,
as well as every thing elfe relating to them ; and it
is equally natural for thofe who wifli to fpeak ref-
peclfully of any party, to reprefent the members of
it as more numerous than they are. Summary
View, No. 13.

5. When perfons form themfelves into focieties,
fo as to be diftinguifhable from others, they never
fail to get fome particular name, either aflumed by
themfelves, or impofed by others. This is necef-
fary, in order to make them the fubje6t of conver-
fation, long periphrafes in difcourfe being very in
convenient. Summary View, No. 8.

6. When particular opinions are afcribed to a
particular clafs of men, without any diftin&ion of
the time when thofe opinions were adopted by
them, it may be prefumed, that they were fup-
pofed to hold thofe opinions from the time that they

received

Maxims of Htftoncal Criticiftn. 209

received their denomination. Summary View,
No. 4.

7. When a particular defcription is given of a
clafs of perfons within any period of time, any
perfon who can be proved to have had the proper
character of one of that clafs may be deemed to
have belonged to it, and to have enjoyed all the
privileges cf it, whatever they were, Summary
View. No. 9.

8. When an hiftorian, or writer of any kind,
profeiFedly enumerates the feveral fpecies belonging
to any genus ^ or general body of men, and omits
any particular fpecies or denomination, which, if
it had belonged to the genus, he, from his fitua-
tion and circumftances, was not likely to have
overlooked, it may be prefumed that he did not
confider that particular fpecies as belonging to the
genus. Summary View, No. 7.

9. Great changes in opinion are not ufually made
of a fudden, and never by great bodies of men.
That hiftory, therefore, which reprefents fuch
changes as having teen made gradually, and by
eafy fteps, is always the more probable on that ac
count. Summary View, No. 16.

10. The common or unlearned people, in any
country, who do not fpeculate much, retain longeft
any opinions with which their minds have been
much impreiled ; and therefore we always look for
the oldeft opinions in any country, or any clafs of

S men

2IO Maxims of Hiflorical Criticifm.

men, among the common people, and not among
the learned. Summary View, No. 13, 14.

11. If any new opinions be introduced into a
fociety, they are moll likely to have introduced
them who held opinions fimilar to them before
they joined that fociety. Summary V. No. 15.

12. If any particular opinion has never failed to
excite great indignation in all ages and nations,
in which a contrary opinion has been" generally
received, and that particular opinion can be proved
to have exifted in any age or country when it did
not excite indignation, it may be concluded that it
had many partjzans in that age or country. For
the opinion being the fame, it could not of itfelf
be more refpectable ; and human nature being the
fame, it could not but have been regarded in the
fame light, fo long as the fame ftrefs was laid on
the oppofite opinion. Summary View, No. i,

II, 12.

13. When a time is given, in which any very
remarkable and interefting opinion was not believed
by a certain clafs of n ople, and another time in
which the belief of it was general, the introduction
of fuch an opinion may always be known by the
effects vhich it will produce upon the minds, and
in the conduft of men j by the alarm which it will
give to fbme, and the defence of it by others. If,
therefore, no alarm was given, and no defence of

it

Maxims of Hiftortcal Criticifn, 2 1 T

It was made, within any particular period, it may
be concluded that the introduction of it did not
take place within that period. Summary View,
No. 2, 3. 6.

14. When any particular opinion or practice,
is neceffarily or cuftomarily accompanied by any
other opinion or practice; if the latter be not found
within any particular period, it may be prefumed
that the former did net exifl within that period;
Summary View, No. 5.

It will be perceived that the whole of this hif-
torical evidence is in favour of the proper Unitarian
doctrine (or that of Chrift being a mere man) hav
ing been the faith of the primitive church, in op-
pofition to the arian no lefs than the trinitarisn
hypothecs.

As to the arian hypothefis in particular, I do not
know that it can be traced any higher than Arius
himfelf, or at leaft the age in which he lived. Both
the gnoftics and the platonizing chriftians were
equally far from fuppofing that Chrift was a beino;
created out of nothing ; the former having thought
him to be an emanation from the fjprerne beincr,
pnd the latter the logos of the Father perfonified.
And though they fometimes applied the term creation
to this perfomfication, ftill they did not fuppofe it to
liave been a creation out of nothing. It was only
a new modification of what exifted before. For
God, they iaid, was always rational (Aoyi^) or

had

Maxims of Hiflorlcal Crlticlfn*

had within him that principle which afterwards af-
fumed a perfonal character.

Befides, all the chriftian father?, before the time
of Arius, fuppofed that Chrift had a human foul as
well as a human body, which no arians ever ad
mitted; they holding that the logos fupplied the
place of one in Chrift.

Upon the whole, the arian hypothefis appears to
me to be deftitute of all fupport from chriftian an
tiquity. Whereas it was never denied that the
proper Unitarian doctrine exifted in the time of the
apoftles ; and I think it evident that it was the faith
of the bulk of chriftians, and efpecially 'the un
learned chriftians, for two or three centuries after
Chrift.

Ta

( 213 }

To the preface to the account of the trial of Mr ElwaU
in p. 59, 60, Dr. Prleflleyln 1788 made the follow*
ing addition.

SINCE the writing of the above the editor has
had the pleafureof knowing many of Mr. Elwall's
acquaintance, and particularly Mr. John Martin, of
Skihs-Park, between Birmingham and Alceftcr,
\vho was prefent at the trial. Fie is now in his
eighty- fourth year, and perfec~ily remembers that
it was in 1726, and he thinks it was the fummer-
aiTizes, bccaufe the weather was very hot. The
reputation of the trial drew many pcrfons to near
it, and himfelf among the reft; and being ac
quainted with fome of the fnerifPs men he got a
very convenient flation, at about an equal diftance-
from the judge on his left-hand, and Mr. ElwaU
on his right, where he faw and heard to the greateft
advantage. The trial, he fays, was in the morning,
and the figure of Mr. Elwaii, who was a tall man,
with white hair, a large beard and flowing garments,
ftruck every body with rcfpecl. He fpake about
an hour with great gravity, fluency and prefence of
rrJnd, but what is printed is the fubftance of what
he (aid. The judge gave the mod obliging atten
tion to him, and the confufion of the clergy, when
he paufed and waited for their anfwer, as mentioned
in the trial, was very vifible. During the trial, Mr.
Martin fays he was flruck with the refemblance of

it

it to that of Paul. He does not recoiled that the
jury brought in any verdift, but the judge faid he
was at liberty to go where he pleafed. It is poiTible
that the trial might not come to a regular termina
tion, on account of Mr Elwall not having had a
copy of the indictment, as mentioned in this
account.

FINIS.

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